Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease globally, causing pain, stiffness, and disability. Intravascular laser irradiation of blood (ILIB) has been used for chronic pain and musculoskeletal disease. However, evidence on the clinical benefits and serum biomarkers post-ILIB therapy in knee OA is insufficient. We designed a double-blind randomized controlled trial to evaluate the clinical and biological outcomes of ILIB therapy for knee OA. Seventeen patients with knee OA were randomly assigned to the ILIB and control groups. The outcomes included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) Scale, visual analog scale, and biomarker analysis of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-13, IL-1β, epidermal growth factor, macrophage inflammatory protein-1β, and eotaxin. The measurements were performed at baseline and three days, one month, and three months post-intervention. The ILIB group showed a significant improvement in the WOMAC-pain score at one month of follow-up than the control group. IL-1β levels reduced significantly on day three, one month, and three months, and IL-13 levels reduced on day three and three months during follow-up in the ILIB group. ILIB therapy reduced knee OA pain for one month and significantly reduced serum IL-1β and IL-13 levels, suggesting potential for pain management.
Keywords: anti-inflammation; immunomodulation; intravascular laser irradiation of blood; knee osteoarthritis; molecular mechanism.