title: Humoral immunity and glycosylation abnormalities in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Humoral abnormalities are a significant feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) even if, as seems likely, they do not represent primary phenomena. Thus, autoantibodies including rheumatoid factor, anti-perinuclear factor and anti-RA33 antibodies are important serological features of RA, although none are truly disease-specific. In addition, it has been shown that serum IgGs from RA have an increased number of oligosaccharide structures attached to the Fc region whose outer 'arms' lack galactose [i.e. increased Gal (0)]. Measurement of Gal (0) has been shown to have clinical utility in the assessment and follow-up of patients with RA.
authors.affiliation: Bloomsbury Rheumatology Unit/Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Isenberg
mesh_terms: D000917:Antibody Formation; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies