Abstract: Recent studies demonstrated that adipokines, white adipose tissue produced endogenous bioactive peptides, may have play an critical role in pathophysiology of osteoarthritis(OA). It have been showed that adipokines, involving leptin, adiponectin, visfatin, and resistin, may have contributed not only to inflammation process of OA as proin?ammatory factors but to cartilage degeneration of OA late stage by metalloproteinases alone or in combination with in?ammatory mediators.

Key words: Adipokines, Osteoarthritis, Leptin, Adiponectin, Visfatin, Resistin