Charcot Osteoarthropathy: A Comprehensive Analysis of Recent Research on Novel Biomarkers for Early Detection

Charcot osteoarthropathy (CO) is an unusual and frequently misdiagnosed complication of diabetes mellitus. The delayed diagnosis can have severe consequences for patients' limb and life. Its diagnosis is based firstly in its clinical suspicion, is mainly clinical and is confirmed by imaging tests, like magnetic resorance imaging. Specific biomarkers for its early detection and therapy have not been found yet. The understanding of CO pathogenesis and measurement of molecules involved in this can head to this direction. The purpose of this review is to summarize/describe the most current studies measuring biomarkers in people with CO. Confocal corneal microscopy (CCM), inflammatory markers including IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-a, bone metabolism markers like RANK, RANKL, OPG, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and bone mineral density (BMD) were among the most popular ones included in a large number of studies of the last 20 years and people with CO have significant different levels of the above comparing to non-Charcot groups. Future and larger studies can lead to the discovery of novel biomarkers of the prompt detection of this special entity at an early stage.