METHODS FOR DIAGNOSING OSTEOARTHRITIS

Methods for managing osteoarthritis, in a human or other mammalian subject, comprising the measurement of certain cytokines and growth factors in a tissue sample of a subject, including one or more of platelet-derived growth factor AB (PDGF-AB), platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB), and epidermal growth factor (EGF). Tissue samples may be whole blood, blood fractions, urine, saliva, and synovial fluid. Methods include diagnosing osteoarthritis, and methods for assessing the severity of osteoarthritis, such as in subject that have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis using radiographic or other methods. Methods may also include comparison of measured cytokine levels to a reference level. Methods of managing the clinical progression of osteoarthritis include initiating a clinical action based on the difference between the measured cytokine level and a reference level.