Publications

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 Type XI collagen has been associated with tumor fibrosis and aggressiveness in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The propeptide on Type XI collagen is released into the circulation after proteolytic processing at either amino acid 253 or 511. This allows for a noninvasive biomarker approach to quantify Type XI collagen production. We developed […]

Abstract BACKGROUND The signalling peptide endotrophin is derived through proteolytic cleavage of the carboxyl-terminal during formation of type VI collagen. It is expressed by most descendants of the mesenchymal stem cells lineage, including adipocytes and fibroblasts, and have been proposed to be a central extracellular matrix hormone associated with several age-related diseases. We aimed to […]

Abstract The heterogeneous nature of osteoarthritis (OA) and the need to subtype patients is widely accepted in the field. The biomarker CRPM, a metabolite of C-reactive protein (CRP), is released to the circulation during inflammation. Blood CRPM levels have shown to be associated with disease activity and response to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease with multiple endotypes. A hallmark of OA is loss of cartilage; however, it is evident that the rate of cartilage loss differs among patients, which may partly be attributed to differential capacity for cartilage repair. We hypothesize that a low cartilage repair endotype exists and that such endotypes […]

Abstract Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-12 cleaved fragment of titin (TIM), a novel circulatory biomarker specific for cardiac titin degradation, has emerged as a potential biomarker in cardiovascular diseases. In this work, we aimed to evaluate the association between TIM and maximal functional capacity assessed by the percentage of predicted peak exercise oxygen uptake (pp-peakVO2) […]

Abstract A desmoplastic colorectal cancer stroma, characterized by excess turnover of the cancer-associated fibroblast derived collagens type III and VI, can lead to reduced drug-uptake and poor treatment response. We investigated the association between biomarkers of collagen type III and VI and overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Serum samples were […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by abnormal epithelial repair resulting in a hypercoagulable state with intra-alveolar accumulation of fibrin and alveolar basement membrane destruction. This study aimed to investigate if the combination of two serological biomarkers evaluating these pathological processes could improve the prediction of mortality risk compared to single biomarkers. […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors that target the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) receptor induce a response in only a subgroup of patients with metastatic melanoma. Previous research suggests that transforming growth factor beta signaling and a collagen-rich peritumoral stroma (tumor fibrosis), may negatively interfere with the interaction between T cells and tumor cells […]

Abstract INTRODUCTION Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy is effective in inducing remission in Crohn’s disease in 60% of patients. No serological biomarkers are available, which can predict response to anti-TNF. We aimed to investigate serological markers of collagen turnover reflecting tissue inflammation as predictors of response to anti-TNF. METHODS In 2 retrospective observational cohorts, markers […]