Diagnostic Usefulness of Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide and Anti-Mutated Citrullinated Vimentin Antibodies in the Diagnosis of Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Abstract

Objective: To determine the usefulness of anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide and anti-Mutated Citrullinated Vimentin antibody in the diagnosis of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. Study Design: Descriptive Cross-sectional. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted over a period of one year from January, 2010 to December, 2010. Subjects were recruited from Fatima Memorial Hospital, Rheumatology Outpatient Department, Lahore. The research work was conducted at the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology of University of Health Sciences, Lahore. Materials and Methods: A total of 58 known patients of rheumatoid arthritis fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Criteria were included in the study. After selection of subjects, written informed consent was obtained. The venous blood sample was taken and secured in vacutainers. Serum was extracted by centrifugation and stored at -20°C till analysis. Sera of all study subjects were tested by ELISA for presence of rheumatoid factor, anti-MCV and anti-CCP antibodies. The data obtained was analyzed by using SPSS version 17. The diagnostic significance of anti-CCP and anti-MCV antibody for the diagnosis of sero-negative rheumatoid arthritis patients was determined. Results: Serum aCCP antibody was positive in 9 out of 28 RF-ive patients. So the sensitivity of serum aCCP in RFive group (n=28) was 32.1%. Serum aMCV antibody was present in 11 out of 28 RF-ive patients. The sensitivity of serum aMCV in RF-ive group was 39.2%. Conclusion: Anti-CCP and Anti-MCV had a higher sensitivity for the diagnosis of seronegative RA.

Keywords

• rheumatoid arthritis (ra), rheumatoid factor (rf), anti-mutated citrullinatedvimentin antibody (anti-mcv), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-ccp).