MMP-3 is an innovative, powerful biomarker in tracking disease activity, assessing prognosis and therapeutic efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease affecting about 0.5-1% of the population.2 It is characterised by progressive, erosive and symmetrical polyarthritis and the pathological process leads to destruction of articular cartilage and bone, and may eventually result in ankylosis of the affected joints.

Biomarkers can complement current practice in monitoring disease activity. The MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE type 3 (MMP-3) could be a sensitive complement to the parameters currently being tested, it may influence clinical decision making.

Over the past decades, many studies have been published and thousands of patients have been included to investigate the role of MMP-3 as a potential biomarker, and there are countries where MMP-3 level monitoring has become part of the monitoring protocol. It has been a mandatory element of clinical practice in Japan for more than 10 years. According to these studies and publications:

MMP-3 could predict disease activity and joint destruction. It can augment current diagnostic tools and improve the accuracy of clinical diagnosis and optimise therapeutic decisions.

 

For more information, we provide you with two short presentations:

  1. Scientific background of MMP-3 – presentation by Agnes Szappanos, MD
  2. A Booklet – a comprehensive guide (a ‘compass’) in tracking disease activity, assessing prognosis and therapeutic efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis