RESEARCH - Anti-CCP and anti-RA33 in distinguishing erosive arthritis in patients with lupus, RA

March 30, 2006

Ann Rheum Dis 2001;60:67-68 ( January )

Concise report

Use of anti-citrullinated peptide and anti-RA33 antibodies in distinguishing

erosive arthritis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and

rheumatoid arthritis

R Mediwakea, D A Isenberga, G A Schellekensb, W J van Venrooijb

a Centre for Rheumatology/ Bloomsbury Rheumatology Unit, Department of

Medicine, University College London, UK, b Department of Biochemistry,

University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands

OBJECTIVES Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

can both present with an erosive arthritis with the small joints of the

hands affected. Therefore a serological marker would be useful to

distinguish between these two diseases at onset. In this study anti-RA33

antibodies, which are found in patients with SLE and RA, and

anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP), which have recently been

described as highly specific for RA, were assessed.

METHODS Two hundred and thirty one patients receiving long term follow up

for SLE were evaluated for arthritis and classified as erosive and

non-erosive disease. Sixty six patients were tested for anti-RA33 and

anti-CCP antibodies. All the patients were tested for rheumatoid factor (RF)

and HLA-DR4 status.

RESULTS Ten patients had erosive disease, six of whom were RF positive

(60%), and six anti-RA33 positive (60%), whereas only two were anti-CCP

positive (20%). Two hundred and twenty one patients had non-erosive disease,

40 of whom were RF positive (18%), 14 were anti-RA33 positive (6%), whereas

only one patient was found to be anti-CCP positive (0.5%).

CONCLUSION The presence of anti-CCP antibodies may be useful in

distinguishing RA from erosive SLE. Anti-RA33 antibodies and RF are

unhelpful.

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

Recommended Posts