Diagnostic value of the anti-Sa antibody compared with the anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody in rheumatoid arthritis

Modification of antigens represents a trigger for the generation of autoantibodies. In the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), citrullination of proteins has been shown to be a critical process, and the determination of antibodies against citrullinated antigens has been a diagnostic milestone. We undertook this study to determine whether antibodies to mutated and citrullinated vimentin (MCV) could serve as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for RA. We identified novel isoforms of human MCV in the synovial fluid of RA patients. The significance of these disease-related modifications was investigated by the analysis of autoantibody reactivities. In a group of 1,151 RA patients, the diagnostic significance and the prognostic value of an anti-MCV enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were compared with that of an anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) ELISA. In RA, sensitivities of 82% and 72% were calculated for the anti-MCV and anti-CCP assays, respectively. The specificity of both assays was comparable (98% and 96%, respectively). In followup analyses of 16 RA patients with moderate disease activity (mean Disease Activity Score in 28 joints [DAS28] of 2.72) and 26 RA patients with active disease (mean DAS28 of 5.07), disease stratification of RA was possible using the anti-MCV assay (P = 0.0084). A significant correlation of anti-MCV antibodies with the DAS28 was documented (r = 0.5334, P = 0.0003), in 42 RA patients (n = 427 antibody determinations at different time points). Antigenic properties of vimentin were determined by mutation and citrullination. Anti-MCV antibodies are a novel diagnostic marker for RA. Furthermore, they may allow monitoring and-if confirmed in even larger series of patients-stratification of disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of synovial joints. In most cases this will lead to the formation of pannus tissue, ultimately leading to joint destruction. Early diagnosis, coupled with aggressive use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, has been shown to have a favorable effect on the course of the disease. Therefore, early and accurate diagnosis has become increasingly important. Several sets of criteria have been published to achieve such an early diagnosis, and all of them include measurement of antibodies directed to citrullinated peptides or proteins. This review summarizes our present knowledge about the most well-known and established test to measure these antibodies, the anti-CCP test, which measures antibodies directed to cyclic citrullinated peptides. We describe the current views on how these antibodies are generated and how genetic and environmental parameters are important in this process. The anti-CCP test is more specific than the commonly used RF test (95% versus less than 90%) and has a comparable sensitivity (more than 70%). These antibodies are detectable very early in the disease and are reported to predict the development of erosive RA. Increasing evidence supports a role for these antibodies in the pathology of the disease. In conclusion, testing for anti-CCP autoantibodies is widely accepted as an indispensable tool for diagnosis and early treatment in the management of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

To assess the frequency of, and factors associated with, depression and anxiety in Singaporean patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).