Effects of ring finger protein 43 on matrix metalloproteinases secreted by fibroblast-like synoviocytes from rheumatoid arthritis

Objective To explore the effects of ring finger protein 43(RNF43) on fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Synovial tissues from patients with RA treated by knee arthroplasty were used to isolate FLSs by type 2 collagenase. RNF43 lentivirus overexpressing plasmid was constructed and transfected in to RA-FLS. After successful transfection, RNA and supernatant of RA-FLS were extracted. QRT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -1, MMP-3 and MMP-13. Data were analyzed with Student's t test. Results Transfection efficiency could meet the test requirements when the multiplicity of infection was 40 and was in conjunction with appropriate concentration of polybrene. The mRNA of RNF43 increased for 26158-fold than the control group. In vitro, compared with the control group, RNF43 could significantly inhibit the mRNA of MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-13 and MMP-13 [(0.19±0.06), t=28.314, P<0.05; (0.28±0.07), t=23.413, P<0.05; (0.21±0.09), t=18.365, P<0.05] and the protein of MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-13 and MMP-13 [(31.0±9.4) pg/ml, (17.1±2.1) pg/ml, t=3.198,P=0.029], MMP-3 [(38.7±8.1) pg/ml, (24.9±3.5) pg/ml, t=3.514, P=0.015], MMP-13 [(35.9±5.4) pg/ml, (20.6±2.9) pg/ml, t=5.632, P=0.001]. Conclusion The results of study suggest that RNF43 could inhibit the secre-tion of MMPs in RA-FLS by suppressing the activity of Wnt signal pathway. Key words: Arthritis, rheumatoid; Fibroblasts-like synoviocytes; Ring finger protein 43; Matrix metallopro-teinase