title: Predictive value of antibodies to citrullinated peptides and rheumatoid factors in anti-TNF-alpha treated patients.
abstract: This article will focus on the relationship between serum levels of anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) or rheumatoid factor (RF) and clinical response to TNF-alpha blockers in order to evaluate whether these antibodies may have a role as serological markers of response to therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The changes induced in anti-CCP levels after TNF blocking therapy still remain a controversial issue even though a marked reduction following conventional DMARDs has been reported in early disease. On the other hand, a drop in RF levels during treatment has been reported by many authors. Decreased IgM RF levels seem to parallel clinical response suggesting that this antibody can also be regarded as a marker of response to treatment. Pre-treatment RF positivity or negativity does not influence response to TNF-alpha blocking therapy while high pre-treatment levels of IgA RF seem to be associated with a poor response rate.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, University of Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bobbio-Pallavicini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caporali
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alpini
authors.forename: Remigio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moratti
authors.forename: Carlomaurizio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montecucco
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology*