Antibodies to mutated citrullinated vimentin and antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
BACKGROUND
The goal of the study was to assess the presence of antibodies to mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) and cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) compared with patients with other juvenile onset rheumatic diseases.


METHODS
The study included 56 patients who fulfilled the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) classification criteria for JIA, and 17 control patients with other juvenile onset rheumatic diseases. Data on six core outcome variables and the Sharp score were collected for patients with JIA. Sera and synovial fluid, if available, were tested for anti-CCP and anti-MCV antibodies using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
Anti-MCV antibodies were positive in 3/56 (5.4%) and anti-CCP in 1/56 (1.8%) of patients with JIA. Two out of three anti-MCV positive patients (one of them also anti-CCP positive) were found to be rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive with polyarticular disease. Within the control group, anti-MCV was positive in 4/17 (23.5%) patients, while anti-CCP positivity was not observed. No correlation between anti-MCV with anti-CCP antibody levels was found for any of the six core outcome variables or for the adapted Sharp score.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that antibodies targeting citrullinated proteins are not a useful diagnostic marker for JIA, but can indicate severe patterns of disease in JIA.
University Department of Chemistry, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia. andrea.kuna@gmail.com
Andrea Tesija
AT
Kuna
Lovro
L
Lamot
Marijana
M
Miler
Miroslav
M
Harjacek
Ana-Maria
AM
Simundic
Nada
N
Vrkic
D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002956:Citrulline / Q000737:chemistry*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D014746:Vimentin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D000906:Antibodies; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D014746:Vimentin; D002956:Citrulline