Antibodies to mutated citrullinated vimentin and disease activity score in early arthritis: a cohort study.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

The aim of our study was to investigate the association between arthritic disease activity and antibodies to mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV), because such a relation has been suggested.

METHODS:

Anti-MCV levels were measured in 162 patients with early arthritis (123 with rheumatoid arthritis and 39 with undifferentiated arthritis) at baseline and at 1 and 2 years of follow up. Disease activity was measured using the disease activity score (Disease Activity Score based on 28 joints [DAS28]) and serum C-reactive protein. General estimation equation analysis was used to assess the relation between anti-MCV levels and DAS28 over time.

RESULTS:

Both, anti-MCV levels and DAS28 exhibited a significant decrease during the first and second year. However, the association between anti-MCV levels and DAS28, adjusted for dependency on sequential measurements within one individual, was very low (beta = 0.00075). In a population of patients with rheumatoid arthritis or undifferentiated arthritis, anti-MCV had a specificity of 92.3% and a sensitivity of 59.3% when using the recommended cut-off of 20 U/ml. Specificity and sensitivity of antibodies against second-generation cyclic citrullinated peptide, using the recommended cut-off value of 25 U/ml, were 92.1% and 55.3%, respectively. Anti-MCV-positive early arthritis patients had significantly higher Sharp-van der Heijde score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels than did anti-MCV-negative patients at all time points (P < 0.005), but DAS28 was higher in anti-MCV-positive patients at 2 years of follow up only (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Because the correlation between anti-MCV levels and parameters of disease activity was very low, we conclude that it is not useful to monitor disease activity with anti-MCV levels.

• Authors: Jennie Ursum, Markus M J Nielen, Dirkjan van Schaardenburg, Ann R van der Horst, Rob J van de Stadt, Ben A C Dijkmans, Dörte Hamann
• Journal: Arthritis research & therapy (Arthritis Res Ther) Vol. 10 Issue 1 Pg. R12 ( 2008) ISSN: 1478-6362 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 18226202 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies
• Peptides, Cyclic
• Vimentin
• cyclic citrullinated peptide
• Citrulline

Topics

• Adult
• Antibodies (blood)
• Arthritis (diagnostic imaging, immunology, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Citrulline (metabolism)
• Cohort Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Mutation
• Peptides, Cyclic (immunology)
• Radiography
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• Single-Blind Method
• Vimentin (genetics, immunology, metabolism)