HLA-DRB1 and Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibody Production in Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Published in: International Archives of Allergy and Immunology 2005-08, Vol.137 (4), p.315-318
• Main Authors: Senkpiehl, Ilka, Marget, Matthias, Wedler, Martina, Jenisch, Stefan, Georgi, Joachim, Kabelitz, Dietrich, Steinmann, Jörg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arthritis, Rheumatoid - blood; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - genetics; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - immunology; Autoantibodies - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Cohort Studies; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; HLA-DR Antigens - genetics; HLA-DR Antigens - immunology; HLA-DR4 Antigen - genetics; HLA-DR4 Antigen - immunology; HLA-DRB1 Chains; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Immunopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Peptides; Peptides, Cyclic - blood; Peptides, Cyclic - immunology; Rheumatoid arthritis; Short Communication
• ISSN: 1018-2438; 1423-0097; 1365-2567
• DOI: 10.1159/000086463

Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) are a new diagnostic marker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which shows a specificity of 97% and a sensitivity of 81% in the second generation assay. About 61% of RA patients express HLA-DRB1*0401. In a cohort of patients with RA we investigated whether the expression of anti-CCP correlates with the carriage of certain genes on the HLA-DRB1 locus. Our data reveal a highly significant association between anti-CCP and HLA-DR4, and a weaker but still significant association with HLA-DR1. HLA-DRB1*0401 is not a prerequisite for anti-CCP production, but if HLA-DRB1*0401 was present, 90% of our RA patients were anti-CCP positive.