RESEARCH - Correlation of anti-CCP antibody with hand joint erosion score in RA patients

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Korean J Intern Med. 2010 June; 25(2): 201–206.

Published online 2010 June 1. doi: 10.3904/kjim.2010.25.2.201. PMCID:

PMC2880695

Correlation of Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Antibody with Hand Joint

Erosion Score in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Hyun Hee Kim,1 JiHun Kim,1 Sung-Hoon Park,1 Seong-Kyu Kim,1 Ok-Dong

Kim,2 and Jung-Yoon Choe1

1Department of Internal Medicine, Arthritis and Autoimmunity Research

Center, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.

2Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Arthritis and Autoimmunity

Research Center, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine,

Daegu, Korea.

Abstract

Background/Aims

To examine the correlation between radiological joint damage and

serological parameters in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

This retrospective study reviewed the records of 216 patients

diagnosed with RA and classified them according to disease duration:

group 1, ≤ 24 months; group 2, > 24 months; and group 3, all patients

combined. The extent of joint damage was assessed from plain

radiographs using a modified version of the Larsen method and compared

among groups.

Results

The mean radiographic joint damage score was significantly higher in

patients who had established RA (10.1 points) compared with those who

had early RA. In group 1, the inflammatory parameters, erythrocyte

sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein were positively correlated

with the joint damage score, but rheumatoid factor (RF) and

anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody were not. A

subgroup analysis revealed that the anti-CCP positive patients in

groups 1 and 2 had greater joint damage scores than did the anti-CCP

negative patients, but no difference in RF was observed between

subgroups. Anti-CCP positivity was not significantly correlated with

joint damage sores in group 3.

Conclusions

Anti-CCP positivity was significantly correlated with more severe

joint damage at diagnosis. A correlation was observed between the

radiological joint damage score and inflammatory parameters in early

and established RA, indicating that anti-CCP can serve as a diagnostic

tool and predict structural joint damage. These findings suggest

anti-CCP positive patients should receive aggressive therapeutic

intervention.

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Read the full article here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2880695/?tool=pubmed

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