The study demonstrated that 86.4% of the HOA sample presented more abnormal hormone levels than the controls (p = 0.03), and preponderance of white ethnicity that signals a probable genetic predisposition (Table 1). The quantitative hormonal analysis (Table 2) demonstrated more pituitary hormonal abnormalities in HOA patients related to higher titles of TSH (p = 0.03) and PRL (p = 0.01). The frequency of patients with abnormal results (Table 3) demonstrated that 16.6% (13.2–24.0) of the HOA group presented more hormonal tests than the controls (p < 0.0000), and dependent of low levels of LH (p < 0.0000), and high levels of TSH (p < 0.0000), and PRL (p < 0.0000), and trends for hypogonadism hypogonadotropic in 50% ( CI95% 29.7–70.2), hyperthyroidism in 45.4% (CI95% 25.8–66.1), and hyperprolactinemia in 31.8% (CI95%15.1-53.05). These results demonstrated significant increased frequency of hormonal syndromes in HOA patients even when compared to the expected frequency of climacteric women [12, 13, 14, 15].
The sub-clinical syndromes of hypogonadism hypogonadotropic related to LH deficiency, hypothyroidism, and hyperprolactinemia were probably dependent from the damage on hypothalamic neurons which interfere on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) surges. These findings corroborated the previous endocrinological studies in HOA patients which demonstrated, in addition to genetic and hereditary profiles, the relationship between high estrogen levels, and hypothalamic neurons damages, and neuroendocrine misbalance on the hypothalamus-pituitary–gonads axis which modifies the dopamine, TRH, GnRH production and collaborates for cartilage inflammation and degeneration [16, 18, 17, 19, 20, 21].
The results of the hormonal profile in the HOA sample presented expected climacteric gonads hormone levels, and normal high FSH levels, but not expected abnormal low LH levels and high TSH and PRL titles.
The hormones, acting on cellular pathways in the metabolic tissular environment, are fundamental for the cartilage health, but also play an important role on the development of the degenerative syndrome. The estrogen before menopause presents an anabolic activity stimulating the chondrocytes to produce normal extracellular matrix (ECM) through the increased stimulation of the Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGFβ) activity, but after menopause changes to a catabolic profile through the TGFβ activity modification and restricts the chondrocyte proliferation in the epiphyseal plaque, increases the production of inflammatory molecules (Interleukin1/IL1, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha /TNF α) and enzymes, impairs the activity of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), inhibits the synthesis of proteoglycans (PGN), and changes the hydrophilic characteristics of the ECM [7, 22, 23]. The degenerative and inflammatory processes are depend of hormonal synergism, and demonstrated with the PRL, dependent of TRH function, which stimulates the T-lymphocyte reactivity, fibroblasts activity, synovial hyperplasia, neo-angiogenesis, production of catabolic enzymes, and chondrocyte apoptosis [20, 21, 22, 23
]. The hyperprolactinemia inhibits the anabolic activities of the TGFβ/ Smad via the PRL / JAK2 pathway, and associated with the high levels of IL1 and TGFβ found on osteoarthritic cartilage, restricts the mesenchymal-epithelial transition and deteriorates the ECM [24, 25]. Also related, the abnormal TRH activity modifies the pituitary feedback and the increased TSH level induce to a sub-clinical hypothyroidism related with tissular degeneration [11, 21].
The hormonal balance is fundamental for the tissue homeostasis which is disrupted after menopause and characterized by low levels of sexual hormones and high levels of gonadotropins. These hormones presented synergic and antagonist association demonstrated by FSH and estradiol opposite actions on the cellular differentiation of bone marrow cells: the FSH favoring the osteoclast formation and inflammatory cell activation which harm the sub-chondral bone; and the estrogen stimulates osteoblast accumulation; but after menopause the high FSH and low estrogen levels intensify the sclerostin catabolic activity, a protein made by osteocytes which intensify the bone remodeling process, the osteoarthritis phenotype, the chondrocyte differentiation and apoptosis [ 26, 27, 28, 29, 30]. The FSH participates for the bone and cartilage instability through the activation of inflammatory characteristics increasing the population of monocytoid CD14 + RANK cells which activates the receptor NGFKβ ligand and the Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (M-CSF) and the secretion of IL 8 [26, 27]. The FSH also stimulates the production of the protein β-catenin, a transcriptional cellular and signaling factor, with increased levels in the osteoarthritic cartilage, which through harmful mutations and hyper-expression is associated with neoplasm (lung, breast, ovary, endometrium, liver, and bowel), and the canonical Wnt -frizzled-β-catenin pathway up-regulates the expression of follicle-stimulating hormone receptors (FSH r) interrupts the degradation of β-catenin and changes the TGFβ activity leading to an osteoarthritic like phenotype [31, 32]. The Wnt/ β-catenin signaling also reduces the action of sclerostin, a protein expressed by SOST genes in osteocytes, and harms the cartilage and sub-chondral bone integrity, and this activity had been described in the development of erosive HOA, temporomandibular OA, facet OA, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), and spondyloarthritis (SpA) [33].
The chondrocyte dedifferentiation characterizes the shift of the cell phenotype from the normal chondrocyte shape toward a polygonal fibroblast-like phenotype [34]. This change to a modified active fibroblast phenotype is stimulated by FSH, without estrogen participation, and inhibits the cAMP/PKA and MKK4/JNK signaling pathways inducing to an abnormal ECM production and inflammatory response [34, 35, 36, 37].
The OA presents inflammatory signs without systemic commitment which appear to be independent of CD3 activation [38]. Previous studies demonstrated the association of HOA with inflammasome, a cytosolic protein complex related to the NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), and significantly present in the serum of patients with non-erosive HOA, which stimulates the production of IL1β, TNF α, IL18, TGFβ, reactive oxygen, MMP and participates for cartilage degeneration and synovial inflammation [39, 40]. This protein is activated by low levels of estrogen and progesterone, related with menopause, and modifies the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), up-regulates the TGFβ catabolic action, enhances the TGFβ / Smad pathway, and participates in osteoarthritic development [41, 42, 43, 44]. These results infer the role of genetics and hereditary profile which influenced by the old age and hormonal misbalance participate on tissular derangement. The study had a limited sample size and new trials are necessary to prove the results, compare it with a male sample, relate to inflammatory activity, evaluate the hypothalamic neuroendocrine profile, and compare it with the posterior pituitary hormonal profile.