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Objective: To report contemporary estimates of the prevalence of hip-related osteoarthritis (OA) outcomes in African Americans and Caucasians aged>or=45 years., Methods: Weighted prevalence estimates and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals for hip symptoms, radiographic hip OA, symptomatic hip OA, and severe radiographic hip OA were calculated using SUDAAN for age, race, and sex subgroups among 3068 participants (33% African Americans, 38% men) in the baseline examination (1991-97) of The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, a population-based study of OA in North Carolina. Radiographic hip OA was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic grade>or=2, moderate/severe radiographic hip OA as grades 3 and 4, and symptomatic hip OA as hip symptoms in a hip with radiographic OA., Results: Hip symptoms were present in 36%; 28% had radiographic hip OA; nearly 10% had symptomatic hip OA; and 2.5% had moderate/severe radiographic hip OA. Prevalence of all 4 outcomes was higher in older individuals; most outcomes were higher for women and African Americans., Conclusion: African Americans in this population do not have a lower prevalence of hip-related OA outcomes as previous studies suggested. Increasing public and health system awareness of the relatively high prevalence of these outcomes, which can be disabling, may help to decrease their effects and ultimately prevent them.

Objective: To report contemporary estimates of the prevalence of knee-related osteoarthritis (OA) outcomes in African Americans and Caucasians aged > or = 45 years., Methods: Weighted prevalence estimates for knee symptoms, radiographic knee OA, symptomatic knee OA, and severe radiographic knee OA were calculated for age, ethnic, and sex subgroups, in 3018 participants (33% African Americans, 38% men) in the baseline examination (1991-97) of The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, a population-based study of OA in North Carolina. Radiographic knee OA was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic grade > or = 2, severe radiographic knee OA as grades 3 and 4, and symptomatic knee OA as knee symptoms in a knee with radiographic OA., Results: Knee symptoms were present in 43%, 28% had radiographic knee OA, 16% had symptomatic knee OA, and 8% had severe radiographic knee OA. Prevalence was higher in older individuals and women. African Americans had slightly higher prevalence of knee symptoms, radiographic knee OA, and symptomatic knee OA, but significantly higher prevalence of severe radiographic knee OA compared to Caucasians., Conclusion: Policy should be directed to increasing education of the public and the medical community about the high prevalence of these conditions, especially in these subgroups, to decrease their impact and ultimately prevent them.

Objective: Previous descriptions of potential biomarkers of osteoarthritis (OA) have been limited to Caucasians. In the present study, we examined associations between serum levels of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and ethnicity (African American or Caucasian) and sex in the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, a population-based study of OA in rural North Carolina., Methods: All African Americans and a randomly selected sample of Caucasians who had available sera and either no radiographic evidence of knee or hip OA according to the Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L) system (K/L grade 0) or radiographic evidence of knee OA (K/L grade 2 or higher) were included. Serum COMP levels were quantified by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, using monoclonal antibodies 16-F12 and 17-C10. Linear regression models were used to assess relationships between serum levels of natural log-transformed COMP (ln COMP) and ethnicity and sex, controlling for age, height, body mass index (BMI), radiographic OA, and the presence of other symptomatic joints. Radiographic OA was defined in separate models as the presence, severity, and laterality of radiographic knee OA, the co-occurrence of radiographic knee and hip OA, and the number of knees and hips with radiographic OA., Results: The 769 subjects in the study sample had a mean +/- SD age of 62 +/- 10.3 years. Levels of ln COMP were associated with age, BMI, and all definitions of radiographic OA (P = 0.0001), and varied by ethnicity and sex. In adjusted models, ln COMP was higher in African American women than in Caucasian women (P = 0.003) and higher in Caucasian men than Caucasian women (P = 0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences in serum ln COMP levels between African American men and women., Conclusion: Serum COMP levels vary by ethnicity and sex. These factors should be considered in the derivation of standards using this, and possibly other, potential biomarkers of OA.