Serum protein biomarkers for polymyalgia rheumatica: a case-control study

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), a chronic inflammatory disease that affects older people, is characterized by musculoskeletal pain in the shoulder, neck, and pelvic girdle. It can be challenging to discriminate PMR from older age onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Systematic investigations of serum proteins have been conducted to identify new biomarkers. However, few proteomic analyses have been conducted for PMR. We analyzed serum protein profiles to identify biomarkers of PMR in the comparison between PMR patients before corticosteroid treatment [PMR Tx(-)] and healthy controls (HCs).

Systematic proteome analyses of serum samples from 16 PMR Tx(-) and 18 HCs were performed and candidate proteins were selected with statistical/cluster and outlier analyses. Validation of the results was performed by the multiplex bead-based immunoassay of 10 candidate proteins in serum from 16 PMR Tx(-), 30 PMR after corticosteroid treatment [PMR Tx(+)], 26 RA, and 16 HCs.

C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL)7, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL)9, interleukin (IL)-6, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, interferon (IFN)-alpha, and MMP-3 levels were increased in PMR Tx(-) compared with HC. Area under the curve values of receiver operating characteristic curves of CXCL9, IL-6, and IL-1 receptor antagonist were 0.94, 0.97, and 0.94, respectively.

Serum biomarker profiles could represent diagnostic biomarkers for PMR.