Publications

Abstract OBJECTIVES There is a need for precision medicine and an unspoken promise of an optimal approach for identification of the right patients for value-based medicine based on big data. However, there may be a misconception that measurement of proteins is more valuable than measurement of fewer selected biomarkers. In population-based research, variation may be […]

Abstract Angina and no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) have an unfavorable prognosis, possibly due to diffuse myocardial fibrosis (DMF). In DMF the proteoglycans biglycan and versican are actively remodeled by matrix metalloproteinase. We investigated biglycan and versican in females with angina and possible DMF assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Seventy-one females with angina […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Lupus nephritis (LN) occurs in <40% of patients with SLE. Reliable biomarkers of kidney damage are needed to identify patients with SLE at risk of developing LN to improve screening, treat the disease earlier, and halt progression to kidney failure. Novel biomarkers of extracellular matrix remodeling were evaluated as markers of kidney fibrosis […]

Abstract Increased turnover of extracellular matrix proteins is seen in many different diseases and is an underlying and driving feature of pathogenesis. An increased ratio of formation over degradation of extracellular matrix proteins, such as collagens, leads to accumulation of proteins in the tissues, ultimately impairing organ function. Understanding how this balance is regulated is […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Rupture of atherosclerotic plaques is the major cause of acute cardiovascular events. The biomarker PRO-C6 measuring Endotrophin, a matrikine of collagen type VI, may provide valuable information detecting subjects in need of intensified strategies for secondary prevention. OBJECTIVE In this study, we evaluate endotrophin in human atherosclerotic plaques and circulating levels of PRO-C6 […]

Abstract Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a complex disease which is incompletely accounted for. Basement membrane (BM) Collagen IV (COL4A1/A2) is abundant in the artery wall, and several lines of evidence indicate a protective role of baseline COL4A1/A2 in AAA development. Using Col4a1/a2 hemizygous knockout mice (Col4a1/a2, 129Svj background) we show that partial Col4a1/a2 deficiency […]

Abstract Pulmonary fibrosis has been identified as a main factor leading to pulmonary dysfunction and poor quality of life in post-recovery Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) survivor’s consequent to SARS-Cov-2 infection. Thus there is an urgent medical need for identification of readily available biomarkers that in patients with SARS-Cov-2 infection are able to; (1) identify […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Tubulointerstitial fibrosis is a major pathological feature in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and collagen type III (COL3) is a major component of the renal fibrotic scar. We hypothesized that a dysregulated turnover of COL3 is an important determinant of CKD progression. We assessed the relationship between fragments reflecting active formation (PRO-C3) and degradation […]

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS A vulnerable plaque is an atherosclerotic plaque that is rupture-prone with a higher risk to cause cardiovascular symptoms such as myocardial infarction or stroke. Mimecan or osteoglycin is a small leucine-rich proteoglycan, important for collagen fibrillogenesis, that has been implicated in atherosclerotic disease, yet the role of mimecan in human atherosclerotic […]

Abstract The PRO-C6 assay, a reflection of collagen type VI synthesis, has been proposed as a non-invasive early biomarker of kidney fibrosis. We aimed to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between plasma and urine PRO-C6 and proven histological changes after kidney transplantation. The current study is a post-hoc analysis of 94 participants of the MECANO […]