The relationships of matrix metalloproteinases with cytokines and chemokines in patients with psoriatic arthritis

Placement of leukocytes into tissues represents an important step in inflammation and the host response to infection. This process is controlled by chemotactic cytokines known as chemokines. Chemokines are cytokines that provide the chemotaxis of leukocyte and stem cells in inflammation and homeostasis. Matrix metalloproteinases are the members of proteolytic enzymes family, playing a key role in cartilage destruction and bone erosion by the degradation of extracellular matrix. Recently, it has been shown that IL-17 is an important key cytokine in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) pathogenesis, and even the IL-17 targeted treatments may promise hope to eliminate the disease. Despite the restricted number of studies on the function of the matrix metalloproteinases and chemokines in PsA, the studies that have investigated the levels of all these proteins together in patients with PsA and PsO, are quite limited. The role of the matrix metalloproteinases in the destruction of cartilage has been shown in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, and these proteins are likely to be associated with chemokines. We aimed to investigate the levels of cytokines and chemokines as well as their relationship with the matrix metalloproteinases in patients with Pso and PsA. Totally, 35 PsA and 33 PsO patients along with 22 healthy control subjects were included into the study. In all of the three groups (PsA, PsO and Control), serum IL-17, IL-1β, IL-6, CCR4, CXR4, CCL2 (MCP-1), CCL22 (MDC), MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-13 levels were measured, and the differences between these groups and their relationships with clinical findings were assessed. As a result of the comparison performed between the three groups (PsA, PsO and Control) included into the study, serum CCL22 (p=0,009) and MMP-9 (p=0,049) levels were determined to be satistically significant. Serum MMP-9 levels of PsA group were detected to be satistically significant with respect to controls (p=0,039). In view of the CCL22 levels, the level of this chemokine was also found to be statistically significant in the PsA group with respect to control group (p=0,012). In patients with PsA, serum levels of IL-6 (p = 0.054), IL-1 β (p = 0.040), IL-17 (p = 0.003), MMP-1 (p=0.002) and MMP-2 (p = 0.026) were significantly higher in the patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors compared to those patients who had not been treated with these drugs. In our study, we found statistically significant differences when the parameters of chemokines (CCL22) and MMP (MMP-9) were compared between control group and the patients with Psa and PsO. We firmliy believe that these parameters could be useful in the follow-up of the disease activity and progression.