Study of serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 as a marker of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic disease that primarily targets the synovium, leading to synovial inflammation and proliferation, loss of articular cartilage, and erosion of juxta-articular bone. Objective The aim of the work was to assess the role of serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) as a marker of disease activity in RA and its correlation with different disease parameters. Patients and methods We assessed serum MCP-1 level in 40 RA patients and 20 age-matched and sex-matched healthy controls. We also assessed different clinical and laboratory disease parameters in RA patients - namely, swollen joint count, tender joint count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP), and 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS-28) (CRP). We correlated serum MCP-1 with disease activity and different disease parameters. Results Serum MCP-1 was significantly higher (P = 0.001) in the patient group (mean = 414, SD = 508.97) than in the control group (mean = 77.25, SD = 16.58). Serum level also correlated significantly with rheumatoid factor (P = 0.004), swollen joint count (P = 0.004), and with DAS-28 CRP score (0.034). There was no significant correlation between MCP-1 and tender joint count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP, or radiographic changes. Conclusion Serum MCP-1 is a useful biomarker in monitoring RA activity.