Metallothionein-1 is Positively Correlated with Inflammation and Ankylosing Spondylitis Activity

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common form of chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease. Metallothionein-1 (MT-1) has been known to play an immunosuppressive role in various noninfectious inflammatory diseases, especially osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, thus inhibiting inflammation and pathogenesis in various diseases. However, whether MT-1 is related to AS is unclear. Here, we examined the levels of MT-1 in patients with AS and its correlation with the disease activity, complication, clinical indexes, and inflammatory cytokines and attempted to explain the effect of MT-1 on inflammation in AS.

The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of MT-1 in patients with AS were detected through real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The associations between serum MT-1 protein level and clinical indexes or proinflammatory cytokines in AS were analyzed using the Spearman correlation test.

The mRNAs and serum protein levels of MT-1 were significantly higher in patients with AS, especially in patients with active AS and patients with osteoporosis (OP) than in healthy controls (HCs), and no difference was observed between patients with inactive AS and HCs. Serum MT-1 levels positively correlated with disease activity, proinflammatory cytokines, and clinical indexes Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score with C-Reactive Protein, C-reactive protein level, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in patients with AS.

MT-1 expression was upregulated in patients with active AS but not in those with inactive AS and positively correlated with clinical indexes, especially in OP, as well as with proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 in patients with AS.