Osteoarthritis (OA) is among the most prevalent articular disorders, whose incidence is directly related to aging. Due to the antiinflammatory potential of curcumin as the active component of turmeric, the present study evaluated the effects of curcumin on the expression of genes related to T helper 17 (Th17), including forkhead box p3 (FOXP3), forkhead box o1 (FOXO1), transforming growth factor-β (TGFB1) and microRNA-873, human (HSA-MIR-873), in OA patients. Female patients with knee OA (n=30) were randomly categorized into 2 groups, including the intervention group who received curcumin (n=15) and the placebo (n=15) in a double-blind clinical trial for 3 months. The expression of FOXO1, FOXP3, TGFB1, and HSA-MIR-873 genes was evaluated by SYBR Green real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In the curcumin group, FOXO1 gene expression was significantly increased, while the increase in FOXP3 gene expression was not significant. Moreover, the expression level of the HSA-MIR-873 gene showed a significant increase in the curcumin group. The modulatory effects of curcumin on Th17 function might be associated with the expression of FOXO1 and HSA-MIR-873 genes.
Keywords: Curcumin; Forkhead box protein o1; Forkhead box protein p3; MicroRNA-873, human; Osteoarthritis; Transforming growth factor beta.