Peptidylarginine deiminase, the arginine to citrulline converting enzyme, is frequently recognized by sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and primary Sjögren syndrome.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Antibodies to citrulline-containing epitopes of filaggrin are highly specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We studied whether the enzyme peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD), responsible for the post-translational modification of peptide-bound arginine residues to citrulline, constitutes an antigen for patients with RA.

METHODS:

IgG antibodies to PAD were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in sera from patients with RA, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS), multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls.

RESULTS:

Compared to healthy controls, raised levels of IgG antibodies to PAD were found in 50 of 57 recent-onset RA patients (88%) and in 40 (70%) of the same 57 patients 3 years later (p<0.0001 for both comparisons). Eleven of 51 (22%) patients with RA of long duration, 19/43 (44%) patients with SLE and 16/19 (84%) patients with pSS, but none of 20 patients with MS, had elevated anti-PAD levels.

CONCLUSION:

The arginine-citrulline converting enzyme PAD was recognized as a new antigen against which patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases frequently show IgG class antibodies.

• Authors: R Nissinen, L Paimela, H Julkunen, P J Tienari, M Leirisalo-Repo, T Palosuo, O Vaarala
• Journal: Scandinavian journal of rheumatology (Scand J Rheumatol) Vol. 32 Issue 6 Pg. 337-42 ( 2003) ISSN: 0300-9742 [Print] England
• PMID: 15080264 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Antinuclear
• Biomarkers
• FLG protein, human
• Filaggrin Proteins
• Intermediate Filament Proteins
• Citrulline
• Hydrolases
• Protein-Arginine Deiminases

Topics

• Adult
• Antibodies, Antinuclear (immunology)
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid (enzymology, immunology)
• Biomarkers (analysis)
• Citrulline (analysis, metabolism)
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Filaggrin Proteins
• Humans
• Hydrolases (analysis, metabolism)
• Intermediate Filament Proteins (analysis, metabolism)
• Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic (enzymology, immunology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Probability
• Prognosis
• Protein-Arginine Deiminases
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• Severity of Illness Index
• Sjogren's Syndrome (enzymology, immunology)