title: Serum markers of rheumatoid arthritis in visceral leishmaniasis: rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody.
abstract: Rheumatoid factor (RF) has been described in visceral leishmaniasis (VL). However, there is no report of RF-isotype or other rheumatoid arthritis (RA) autoantibody in VL. This work investigated RF and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (CCP-Ab) in sera from 35 inhabitants from a VL area: 15 from healthy persons (HIEA); 10 from VL patients (VL), and 10 from subjects cured of VL (CVL). The controls were represented by sera from 15 healthy individuals (HI) and from 10 RA patients from a VL free area. IgM-RF was investigated by immunoturbidimetry, while IgA-RF and CCP-Ab by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Increased RF-IgM production was found in 9 out of 10 sera from both VL and RA groups (median level 100 and 182IU/ml respectively); in three out of CVL-sera (level 94IU), and in only one HIEA-serum (level 58IU). IgA-RF was only detected in RA-sera (5/10, 50%), while CCP-Ab was found in three VL and in four RA sera (median level 36.5U and 161.5U respectively). A strong correlation was observed between RF-IgM and VL in endemic area (P<0.0001). We concluded that an increased IgM-RF production associated with sporadic and moderate CCP-Ab synthesis is an autoimmune characteristic of VL.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua Barão de Geremoabo s/no, 40170115 Salvador, BA, Brazil. ajatta@ig.com.br
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Atta
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: S M B
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jerônimo
authors.forename: M L B
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sousa Atta
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C487763:cyclic citrullinated peptide; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor