RESEARCH - Presence of antibodies against CCP in patients with rhupus: a cross-sectional study

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Presence of antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptides in

patients with 'rhupus': a cross-sectional study

M Amezcua-Guerra1 , Rashidi Springall1 ,

Marquez-Velasco1 , Gómez-García1 , Angélica Vargas2 and

Bojalil1 ,3

1Department of Immunology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio

Chávez, Badiano 1, Sección XVI, Tlalpan 14080, Mexico City, Mexico

2Department of Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio

Chávez, Badiano 1, Sección XVI, Tlalpan 14080, Mexico City, Mexico

3Department of Health Care, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana

Xochimilco, Calzada del Hueso 1100, Villa Quietud, Coyoacán 04960, Mexico

City, Mexico

Arthritis Research & Therapy 2006

Published 25 August 2006

Abstract

'Rhupus' is a rare condition sharing features of rheumatoid arthritis

(RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). If rhupus is a distinctive

entity, an overlap between RA and SLE or a subset of SLE is currently

debated. This study was performed to explore the prevalence of antibodies

against cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP antibodies) in rhupus.

Patients meeting American College of Rheumatology criteria for RA, SLE, or

both were included. Clinical and radiographic features were recorded and

sera were searched for anti-CCP antibodies, rheumatoid factor, antinuclear

antibodies, anti-extractable nuclear antigens, and antibodies against

double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA antibodies). Seven patients for each group

were included. Clinical and serological features for RA or SLE were similar

between rhupus and RA patients, and between rhupus and SLE patients,

respectively. Values for anti-CCP antibodies obtained were significantly (p

< 0.05) higher in RA (6/7) and rhupus (4/7) than in SLE patients (0/7) and

healthy subjects (0/7). Our data support the possibility that rhupus is an

overlap between RA and SLE, because highly specific autoantibodies for RA

(anti-CCP) and for SLE (anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm) are detected in coexistence.

The full text of the article is here:

http://arthritis-research.com/content/8/5/R144

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