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The following is a summary of “Trans-omics landscape of systemic vasculitis identified matrix metalloproteinase 12 as a novel signature molecule,” published in the March 2025 issue of Rheumatology by Matsumoto et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study using trans-omics analysis and identified MMP12 as a potential biomarker in systemic vasculitis. 

They enrolled patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases from June 2013 to September 2022. Vasculitis-specific molecules were screened using serum proteome analysis and whole-blood RNA sequencing, then validated with immunohistochemical staining and spatial transcriptome analysis. 

The results showed that serum proteome and RNA sequencing identified matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 12 as a key molecule in systemic vasculitis, distinguishing it from other rheumatic diseases, reflecting disease activity, and predicting relapse in large-vessel vasculitis. MMP12 detected insidious disease activity even under interleukin-6 inhibition. Immunohistochemical staining showed MMP12 in tissue-infiltrating CD206-positive macrophages. Spatial transcriptome analysis linked MMP12-positive macrophages to macrophage maturation and multinucleated giant cell formation. 

Investigators identified MMP12 as a disease-specific molecule linked to macrophage maturation and multinucleated giant cell formation, reflecting disease activity independently of the interleukin-6 pathway in systemic vasculitis. 

Source: academic.oup.com/rheumatology/advance-article/doi/10.1093/rheumatology/keaf175/8096386