| Title: | Neuro-axonal injury biomarker serum neurofilament light chain is associated with osteoarthritis: a dual-cohort study from NHANES and UK Biobank |
| Journal: | Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics |
| Published: | 17 Jun 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42296085/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1080/14737159.2026.2690188 |
Publication 20827
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) affects over half a billion people globally, representing a major public health burden. Serum neurofilament light chain (sNFL) has recently been implicated in systemic inflammation and metabolic disorders.</p>
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This dual-cohort study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the UK Biobank. In NHANES, sNFL was measured via a high-sensitivity immunoassay, while in UKB, NfL was quantified using the Olink Explore 3072 proteomics platform. OA was defined by self-report in NHANES, and a combination of self-report and ICD-10 hospital records in UKB. The associations were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression and RCS.</p>
RESULTS: Higher sNFL levels were significantly associated with increased OA odds in both cohorts. In fully adjusted models, each 1-unit increase in log-transformed sNFL corresponded to 85% higher odds in NHANES [OR = 1.85, 95% CI: (1.51, 2.23)] and 28% higher odds in UKB [OR = 1.28, 95% CI: (1.21, 1.36)]. Comparing the highest to lowest quartiles, ORs were 4.41 (95% CI: 2.71, 7.13) and 1.46 (95% CI: 1.34, 1.59), respectively (both p for trend <0.01).</p>
CONCLUSIONS: Elevated sNFL levels are independently and consistently associated with a higher prevalence of OA across two distinct national cohorts.</p>
15 Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Biological Specimen Banks
- Biomarkers
- Cohort Studies
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Neurofilament Proteins
- Nutrition Surveys
- Osteoarthritis
- Proteomics
- UK Biobank
- United Kingdom
9 Authors
- Mingxuan Liu
- Huade Ma
- Haidong Zhou
- Kangqi Xie
- Changtai Luo
- Zhonglong He
- Zhongxing Ning
- Jihua Wei
- Dianbo Yu
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