The Clinical Significance Of Serum Matrix Metalloproteinase-3 In Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: To investigate the serum concentration of Matrix metalloproteinase 3 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and the clinical implicated methods.Approaches: (1) 40 active RA patients and 20 normal controls were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to investigate the relation between serum levels of MMP-3 in active RA patients (RA group) and clinic observed index. (2) 40 RA patients (treatment group) were treated by Leflunomide and MMP-3 was detected in 2W, 4W, 8W, 12W, 24W. Concurrently, changes of MMP-3 at baseline and after therapy and the clinic index were analyzed. (3) The analysis on factors of curative effect of 40 RA patients at baseline by the means of the order in all Logistic regression analysis was applied.Results: (1) Serum MMP-3 levels were elevated in the active RA patients (158.63ng/ml±36.91)ng/ml in comparison with normal controls (30.97±14.26 )ng/ml(P<0.01). (2) Serum MMP-3 levels in active RA had positive correlations with CRP, ESR, RF, swelling index,Ritchie index, X-ray score, DAS score (P<0.05) and was irrelative with stiff time( P>0.05). (3) The levels of MMP-3 between phase I (118.72±37.29)ng/ml and phase II (154.62±26.59) ng/ml, phase II and phase III (174.55±21.70) ng/ml, phase III and phase IV (200.78±20.56) ng/ml in RA group were statistically significant (p<0.05). (4) 2W, 4W, 8W, 12W, 24W after therapy, the serum levels of MMP-3 in RA treatment group were(156.48±40, 132.23±35.91, 114.75±22.57, 102.26±20.49, 108.14±47.62)ng/ml respectively. The decrease of the serum concentration of MMP-3 were statistically significant (except for the case of 2W after therapy) (p<0.05), but which were higher than normal controls . (5) Stiff time,swelling index,Ritchie index,ESR,CRP,RF,DAS28 scores of RA group in 24W after therapy were improved (p<0.05) in comparison with the cases at baseline. (6) Symptoms of 9 patients were relieved in 24W after therapy although the serum concentration of MMP-3 in this group was still higher(71.26±24.39)ng/ml than normal controls (P<0.01). (7) The factors that had affected curative effect included MMP-3, RF and Ritchie index by the means of the order in all Logistic regression analysis,.Conclusion: (1) The levels of serum MMP-3 in active RA patients were higher than the normal controls and MMP-3 played an important role in the development of illness of RA group. (2) MMP-3, a significant factor of arthrosis destruction of RA patients, was closely related to bony erosion. Its level would affect the prognosis of RA patients and would probably be an indicator of predicting future arthrosis destruction .