Photo Credit: iStock.com/Drazen Zigic

The following is a summary of “Serum extracellular matrix biomarkers in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis and their association with hand function,” published in the April 2025 issue of Scientific Reports by Port et al. 

Inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and psoriasis (PsO), leads to physical function impairment. Chronic inflammation accelerates extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, releasing detectable ECM fragments in blood. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate physical function impairment in inflammatory arthritis, including RA and PsA.  

They investigated blood-based ECM biomarkers in patients with RA (n = 85), PsA (n = 115), PsO (n = 102), and controls (n = 110). ECM catabolic (C1M, C2M, C3M, C4M, PRO-C4, C6M, ARG), formation (PRO-C1, PRO-C3, PRO-C6), and inflammation biomarkers (VICM) were measured in serum. Objective hand function was assessed using the Moberg-Picking-Up Test, isometric grip strength (dynamometer), and the Michigan hand questionnaire (MHQ). Patients with RA and PsA received disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. 

The results showed VICM levels were higher in RA, PsA, and PsO than controls (P < 0.0001). PsA and PsO had higher C4M levels compared to controls (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001), while C6M was lower in RA, PsA, and PsO than controls (P < 0.0001, P < 0.001, P < 0.01). PsO had higher C1M levels compared to controls and RA (P < 0.001 and P < 0.0001). PRO-C6 correlated negatively with MHQ (ρ = -0.39, P < 0.01) and grip strength (ρ = -0.31, P < 0.05) in PsO. Weak correlations were observed between biomarkers and hand function scores for RA and PsA (all ρ <  ± 0.2–0.3). 

Investigators found significant alterations in ECM remodeling biomarkers in patients with RA, PsA, and PsO. In PsO, ECM formation biomarkers were associated with hand function impairments. 

Source: nature.com/articles/s41598-025-98395-0