Autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis and their clinical significance.
Autoantibodies are proven useful diagnostic tools for a variety of rheumatic and non-rheumatic autoimmune disorders. However, a highly specific marker autoantibody for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not yet been determined. The presence of rheumatoid factors is currently used as a marker for RA. However, rheumatoid factors have modest specificity (~70%) for the disease. In recent years, several newly characterized autoantibodies have become promising candidates as diagnostic indicators for RA. Antikeratin, anticitrullinated peptides, anti-RA33, anti-Sa, and anti-p68 autoantibodies have been shown to have >90% specificity for RA. These autoantibodies are reviewed and the potential role of the autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of RA is briefly discussed.
Steiner
Günter
G
Vienna General Hospital, University of Vienna, and Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rheumatology, Vienna, Austria. Guenter.Steiner@akh-wien.ac.at
Smolen
Josef
J
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D001323:Autoantibodies