In Contrast to Anti-CCP, MMP-Degraded and Citrullinated Vimentin (VICM) Is Both a Diagnostic and a Treatment Response Biomarker

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  • Patryk J. Drobinski
  • Neel I. Nissen
  • Dovile Sinkeviciute
  • Nicholas Willumsen
  • Morten A. Karsdal
  • Anne C. Bay-Jensen

Protein citrullination and degradation by matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) plays a central role in the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Autoantibodies are known to target citrullinated vimentin. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the blood levels of MMP-degraded and citrullinated vimentin (VICM), as compared with the levels of MMP-degraded and non-citrullinated vimentin (VIM), and the standard anti-CCP biomarker in RA patients undergoing treatment. Thus, VIM, VICM and anti-CCP were quantified by ELISA in serum samples from baseline and week 8 of patients (n = 257) with RA, treated with either tocilizumab (8 mg/kg), methotrexate (7.5–15 mg/kg) or a placebo and compared with a reference cohort (n = 64). The three biomarkers were elevated in RA serum compared with the reference cohort: medians were 1.7 vs. 0.8 ng/mL (p < 0.05) for VIM; 7.5 vs. 0.7 ng/mL (p < 0.0001) for VICM; 57 vs. 4 RU/mL (p < 0.001) for anti-CCP. VICM was decreased in response to tocilizumab (2.9-fold, p < 0.0001) and to methotrexate (1.5-fold, p < 0.05) compared with the placebo, while anti-CCP was not. Serum VIM was also modulated by both drugs, although to a lesser degree. A high baseline level of VICM was predictive of a low disease activity response at week 8. In conclusion, VICM can differentiate between RA and healthy donors in a similar manner to anti-CCP; furthermore, VICM is also a pharmacodynamic marker.

Original languageEnglish
Article number321
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume24
Issue number1
Number of pages12
ISSN1661-6596
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.

    Research areas

  • anti-CCP, autoimmunity, biomarkers, low disease activity, pharmacodynamics, rheumatoid arthritis, vimentin

ID: 333309746