Osteoporosis is involved in the development of osteoarthritis through the metabolic genes UXS1 and GAMT

Abstract Osteoporosis is characterized by abnormally active bone resorption and imbalance bone metabolism, resulting in altered bone microarchitecture, enhanced bone fragility, and increased fracture risk. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that often coexists with osteoporosis, severely affects the life quality of the elderly and may even increase their mortality risk. Patients with osteoarthritis exhibit localized bone growth and sclerosis in the affected joints but also osteoporotic-like changes such as reduced bone mass in non-weight-bearing areas. Microfractures and collapses in patients with osteoporosis due to decreased subchondral bone mass can cause uneven distribution of pressure on articular cartilage and accelerated cartilage wear and degeneration, which in turn leads to the development of osteoarthritis. This study takes metabolic genes as an entry point and explores the mechanism of osteoporosis on osteoarthritis development through bioinformatics technology and big data analysis. Our study reveals that osteoporosis can affect the onset of osteoarthritis through UXS1 and GAMT genes expression to influence cell scorching and necrotizing apoptosis in osteoarthritic tissues. Further analysis of key upstream genes and important pathways affecting osteoarthritis provides new ideas to reveal the mechanisms by which osteoporosis leads to osteoarthritis, and then to seek new therapeutic targets for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.