To evaluate matrix metalloproteinase-9 gene expression in rheumatoid arthritis patients on disease modifying anti-rheumatic agents with the objective to further modify the current treatment regimen if indicated in order to prevent progression to deforming rheumatoid arthritis.
Cross-sectional comparative study.
CREAM Lab (Centre for Research in Experimental and Applied Medicine) and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Army Medical College, in collaboration with Rheumatology Department at Military Hospital Rawalpindi from November 2015 to November 2016.
A total of 60 patients of both genders were taken, among which 30 were patients and 30 were controls. Non-probability purposive sampling technique was used. RNA was extracted from respective blood sample and cDNA was synthesised and after optimisation, expression analysis of matrix metalloproteinase-9 gene was seen on real time PCR.
Mean age of rheumatoid arthritis patients and healthy controls was 49.27 ±12.11and 42.10 ±9.02 years, respectively. Among controls, 50% were males (15) and 50% were females (15); whereas, among patients, 30% (9) were males and 70% (21) were females. The mean cycle threshold (Ct) value of MMP-9 expressions in patients was 27.9147 ±2.953; whereas, mean Ct of controls was 23.84 ±2.845. Down regulation of this gene was found in patients in comparison to controls.
Downregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 was observed in patients as compared to controls indicating that current treatment regimen did not require further modification.