Higher levels of matrix metalloproteinase-3 in patients with RA reflect disease activity and structural damage.

AIMS: To evaluate the serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) as a potential marker of disease activity and joint damage in 92 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), compared to 24 osteoarthritis (OA) patients and 26 healthy controls.

METHODS

The concentrations of MMP-3 were measured by ELISA using the commercial kit AESKULISA DF MMP-3 (AESKU.Diagnostics, Germany) and compared with other laboratory parameters routinely used to assess the disease status, clinical score (DAS28) and radiographic stage in the group of RA patients.

RESULTS

The mean serum concentrations of MMP-3 were 199.1 ± 160 ng/mL in RA patients, 113.9 ± 96.9 ng/mL in OA patients and 48.3 ± 19.2 in healthy controls. The differences were highly significant: RA patients and healthy controls (P<0.0001), RA and OA patients (P=0.008) as well as between OA patients and controls (P=0.009). MMP-3 concentrations were further compared with other laboratory parameters and clinical and structural damage data. There were correlations between MMP-3 and CRP (r=0.304, P<0.01), DAS28 (r=0.301, P<0.05), levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (r=0.241, P<0.05), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=0.200, P=0.059) and radiographic disease stage (r=0.197, P=0.063).

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrated that measurement of MMP-3 could become a marker of disease activity in RA patients.