TABLE 2.

Characteristics of the subjects enrolled for lncRNA expression analysis in the study.

Variables	Screening (RNA-seq)			Second-stage validation (qRT-PCR)
	Case (n = 3)	Control (n = 3)	P	Knee OA Cases (n = 54)	Other OA∗ cases (n = 13)	Control (n = 34)	P
Age (mean ± SD)a	64.72 ± 7.81	61.73 ± 7.59	0.600	69.24 ± 9.09	62.23 ± 16.99	55.82 ± 12.37	0.049
Gender, N (100%)
Male	2 (66.67)	2 (66.67)	–	13 (24.07)	3 (23.08)	18 (52.94)	0.014
Female	1 (33.33)	1 (33.33)		41 (75.93)	10 (76.92)	16 (47.06)
BMI
< 24	0	0	–	11 (20.37)	2 (15.38)	6 (17.65)	0.664
24 ≤ BMI < 28	2 (66.67)	2 (66.67)		25 (46.30)	7 (53.85)	21 (61.76)
≥ 28	1 (33.33)	1 (33.33)		18 (33.33)	4 (30.77)	7 (20.59)
Smoking status
Current	0	0	0.532	9 (16.67)	2 (15.38)	12 (35.29)	0.323
Ever	1 (33.33)	2 (66.67)		10 (18.52)	3 (23.08)	6 (17.65)
Never	2 (66.67)	1 (33.33)		35 (64.81)	8 (61.54)	16 (47.06)
Drinking status
Current	0	0	0.532	15 (27.78)	4 (30.77)	10 (29.41)	0.992
Ever	1 (33.33)	2 (66.67)		15 (27.78)	3 (23.08)	8 (23.53)
Never	2 (66.67)	1 (33.33)		24 (44.44)	6 (46.15)	16 (47.06)

^aMedian age in all subjects. *Other OA include hip, shoulder and ankle site.