The prognostic value of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody in patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis Rheum. 2000 Aug;43(8):1831-5. doi: 10.1002/1529-0131(200008)43:8<1831::AID-ANR19>3.0.CO;2-6.

Abstract

Objective: To study the predictive value of anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP) in patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Outcome in terms of physical disability (Health Assessment Questionnaire) and radiologic damage (modified Sharp method) over 3-year and 6-year periods was determined in an inception cohort of 273 RA patients who had had disease symptoms for <1 year at study entry. Anti-CCP titers were determined at baseline and considered positive as recently described. Their prognostic value was studied by means of multiple regression analysis, in which anti-CCP positivity, sex, age at study entry, IgM rheumatoid factor (IgM-RF) status, Disease Activity Score (DAS), HLA-DR4 status, and (in a separate group of patients) shared epitope status were used as independent variables, and radiologic damage and functional disability as dependent variables.

Results: Patients with anti-CCP had developed significantly more severe radiologic damage after 6 years of followup. In multiple regression analysis, radiologic damage after 6 years followup was significantly predicted by IgM-RF status, radiologic score at entry, and anti-CCP status. Functional disability was significantly predicted by sex, age at entry, IgM-RF status, and DAS.

Conclusion: Our data show that in almost 70% of RA patients, anti-CCP antibody is present at the early stages of disease. Anti-CCP-positive patients developed significantly more severe radiologic damage than patients who were anti-CCP negative, although in multiple regression analysis the additional predictive value was rather moderate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / diagnosis*
  • Citrulline / immunology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prognosis

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Citrulline