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- Verheul, Marije K., et al.
(author)
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Triple positivity for anti–citrullinated protein autoantibodies, rheumatoid factor, and anti–carbamylated protein antibodies conferring high specificity for rheumatoid arthritis : implications for very early identification of at‐risk individuals
- 2018
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In: Arthritis & Rheumatology. - Hoboken : John Wiley & Sons. - 2326-5191 .- 2326-5205. ; 70:11, s. 1721-1731
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: In rheumatoid arthritis(RA), the autoantibodies anti-citrullinated protein antibodies(ACPA) and rheumatoid factor(RF) are commonly used to aid RA diagnosis. Although these autoantibodies are mainly found in RA, their specificity is not optimal. It is therefore difficult to identify RA patients, especially in very early disease, based on the presence of ACPA and RF alone. Also, anti-carbamylated protein(anti-CarP) antibodies have diagnostic and prognostic value as the presence of anti-CarP antibodies associates with joint damage in RA patients and with future RA development in arthralgia patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the value of combined antibody testing in relation to prediction and diagnosis of (early) RA.METHODS: A literature search resulted in twelve studies, consisting of RA patients, pre-RA individuals, disease controls, healthy first-degree relatives of RA patients or healthy controls, in which data on RF, ACPA and anti-CarP antibody-status was available. Random effects meta-analyses were carried out for several antibody combinations.RESULTS: The individual antibodies are highly prevalent in RA(34%-80%) compared to the control groups, but are also present in non-RA controls(0%-23%). To classify most people correctly as RA or non-RA, the combination of ACPA and/or RF often performs well(specificity:65-100, sensitivity:59-88). However, triple positivity for ACPA, RF and anti-CarP antibodies results in a higher specificity(98-100) (accompanied by a lower sensitivity(11-39)).CONCLUSIONS: As the rheumatology field is moving towards very early identification of RA and possible screening for individuals at maximum risk in populations with a low pre-test probability, triple positivity provides interesting information on individuals at risk to develop RA.
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- van Delft, Myrthe A. M., et al.
(author)
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The anti-carbamylated protein antibody response is of overall low avidity despite extensive isotype switching
- 2018
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In: Rheumatology. - : Oxford University Press. - 1462-0324 .- 1462-0332. ; 57:9, s. 1583-1591
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To better understand the contribution of autoantibodies in RA and the biology of their responses, we evaluated the avidity of the anti-carbamylated protein (anti-CarP) antibody response.Methods: The avidity of anti-CarP antibody, ACPA and anti-tetanus toxoid IgG were determined using elution assays. Anti-CarP IgG avidity was measured in sera of 107 RA patients, 15 paired SF and serum samples and 8 serially sampled sera before and after disease onset.Results: The avidity of anti-CarP IgG is low compared with the avidity of anti-tetanus toxoid IgG present in the same sera. Likewise, although less pronounced, anti-CarP also displayed a lower avidity as compared with the avidity of ACPA IgG. No difference in anti-CarP IgG avidity is observed between ACPA positive or ACPA negative patients. Anti-CarP IgG avidity is higher in anti-CarP IgM-negative compared with IgM-positive individuals. Furthermore, the anti-CarP avidity in serum is higher than in SF. Using samples of individuals that over time developed RA we observed no anti-CarP avidity maturation in the years before disease onset. In contrast to ACPA avidity, the anti-CarP avidity is not associated with severity of joint destruction.Conclusion: The anti-CarP response is of overall low avidity, even lower than the ACPA IgG avidity, and does not show apparent avidity maturation before or around disease onset. Overall, isotype switch and avidity maturation seem to be uncoupled as isotype switch occurs without avidity maturation, pointing towards a commonality in the regulation of both autoantibody responses as opposed to the pathways governing recall responses.
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3. |
- Ziegelasch, Michael, et al.
(author)
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Antibodies against carbamylated proteins and cyclic citrullinated peptides in systemic lupus erythematosus : results from two well-defined European cohorts.
- 2016
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In: Arthritis Research & Therapy. - : BioMed Central. - 1478-6362. ; 18:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Articular manifestations are common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) whereas erosive disease is not. Antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) are citrulline-dependent in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), whereas the opposite is suggested in SLE, as reactivity with cyclic arginine peptide (CAP) is typically present. Antibodies targeting carbamylated proteins (anti-CarP) may occur in anti-CCP/rheumatoid factor (RF)-negative cases long before clinical onset of RA. We analysed these antibody specificities in sera from European patients with SLE in relation to phenotypes, smoking habits and imaging data.METHODS: Cases of SLE (n = 441) from Linköping, Sweden, and Leiden, the Netherlands, were classified according to American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and/or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria. IgG anti-CCP, anti-CAP and anti-CarP were analysed by immunoassays. Radiographic data from 102 Swedish patients were available.RESULTS: There were 16 Linköping (6.8%) and 11 Leiden patients (5.4%) who were anti-CCP-positive, of whom approximately one third were citrulline-dependent: 40/441 (9.1%) were anti-CarP-positive, and 33% of the anti-CarP-positive patients were identified as anti-CCP-positive. No associations were found comparing anti-CCP or anti-CarP with ACR-defined phenotypes, immunologic abnormalities or smoking habits. Radiographically confirmed erosions were found in 10 patients, and were significantly associated with anti-CCP, anti-CarP and RF. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography scores were higher in anti-CCP-positive compared to anti-CCP-negative patients.CONCLUSIONS: In the hitherto largest anti-CarP study in SLE, we demonstrate that anti-CarP is more prevalent than anti-CCP and that the overlap is limited. We obtained some evidence that both autoantibodies seem to be associated with erosivity. Similar pathogenetic mechanisms to those seen in RA may be relevant in a subgroup of SLE cases with a phenotype dominated by arthritis.
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