title: Diagnostic value of antiagalactosyl IgG antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Our objective in this study was to explore the diagnostic value of antiagalactosyl IgG antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study comprised 266 Japanese patients with systemic autoimmune diseases, including 60 with RA. Human agalactosyl IgG was prepared enzymatically, and the serum levels of antiagalactosyl IgG antibodies were determined using a lectin enzyme immunoassay. Serum IgG and IgM rheumatoid factors (RF) were measured using laser nephelometry for IgM (LN-RF) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for IgG (IgG-RF). Antiagalactosyl IgG antibodies were significantly more common in patients with RA than in those without (78% vs. 18%, odds ratio (OR) 16.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 8.12-33.58, p<0.0001). Patients with RA also had a higher frequency of LN-RF than those without RA (75% vs. 28%, OR 7.81, 95% CI 3.91-15.58, p< 0.001). The specificity of antiagalactosyl IgG antibodies for RA was significantly higher than that of LN-RF (82% vs. 72%, p<0.0011). There was a significant correlation between titers of antiagalactosyl IgG antibodies and C-reactive protein levels. Antiagalactosyl IgG antibodies are more specific markers for RA than conventional LN-RF, and may provide useful information for the diagnosis of RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine II, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, N15 W7, Kitaku, 060-8638 Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hemlata
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Atsumi
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shibuya
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Amasaki
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Amengual
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koike
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C064155:agalactosyl IGG; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor