Heterogeneity of Anticitrullinated peptide antibodies and response to anti-tumor necrosis factor agents in rheumatoid arthritis

Fisher, Benjamin A., Plant, Darren, Lundberg, Karin, Charles, Peter, Barton, Anne and Venables, Patrick J. , The Biologics in Rheumatoid Arthritis Genetics and Genomics Study Syndicate (BRAGGSS) (2012) Heterogeneity of Anticitrullinated peptide antibodies and response to anti-tumor necrosis factor agents in rheumatoid arthritis. The Journal of Rheumatology, 39 (5), 929-932. (doi:10.3899/jrheum.111315). (PMID:22467927)

Abstract

Objective. To examine fine specificity of anticitrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) in relation to responsiveness to anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods. Samples from 450 patients with RA treated with anti-TNF agents were analyzed for antibodies to citrullinated ?-enolase, vimentin, and fibrinogen peptides. The Disease Activity Score-28 was measured at baseline and 6 months.

Results. Both anti-cFib antibodies and the number of citrullinated peptides recognized were associated
with a poorer response. These findings were not significant following stratification for anti-cyclic citrullinated
peptide 2 antibodies.

Conclusion. The presence of any ACPA rather than individual ACPA specificities was associated with a poorer response to anti-TNF agents. We suggest that this reflects distinctive differences in the pathogenesis of ACPA-positive and negative RA.

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