Ulcerative colitis, a form of Inflammatory Bowel (IBD), involves chronic inflammation of the colon and can lead to significant tissue damage. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), particularly membrane-type MMPs (MT-MMPs), are involved in extracellular matrix remodeling and have been suggested to play a role in IBD pathogenesis. However, their roles in ulcerative colitis remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of MT-MMPs in newly diagnosed and treatment-resistant ulcerative colitis patients and assess their diagnostic potential in differentiating these patients from healthy individuals.

Colon biopsy samples were collected from three groups: newly diagnosed ulcerative colitis patients, treatment-resistant ulcerative colitis patients, and healthy controls. RNA was extracted, and the expression of MT-MMPs was quantified using Real-Time PCR. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the diagnostic value of MT-MMPs in differentiating ulcerative colitis patients from healthy controls. Correlation analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between the expression levels of these MMPs and clinical markers.

MT2-MMP and MT5-MMP were significantly downregulated in newly diagnosed and treatment-resistant ulcerative colitis patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis indicated that MT2-MMP and MT5-MMP had diagnostic value, with high sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing ulcerative colitis patients from healthy individuals. Additionally, a significant negative correlation was found between the expression levels of MT2-MMP and MT5-MMP and clinical measures of disease severity, including the colitis severity scale and inflammatory markers (p < 0.01).

Our findings suggest that MT2-MMP and MT5-MMP are downregulated in ulcerative colitis and that their reduced expression is associated with increased disease severity. These MMPs may have diagnostic utility in distinguishing between ulcerative colitis patients and healthy individuals, offering potential as biomarkers for disease detection and progression. Furthermore, the negative correlation between MMP expression and clinical severity highlights the potential therapeutic implications of targeting these MMPs in ulcerative colitis management.