title: Prevalence of anti cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies in Malaysian rheumatoid arthritis patients and its correlation with disease activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this study are to provide data regarding the prevalence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies in Malaysian rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to correlate the levels of anti-CCP antibody with the Disease Activity Score (DAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the prevalence of anti-CCP antibodies in 51 RA patients attending our clinic and 29 controls. We also looked for correlation between anti-CCP antibody levels with the DAS and parameters such as duration of disease, rheumatoid factor (RF) and disease-modifying anti rheumatic drug (DMARD) usage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the controls demonstrated anti-CCP antibodies. Forty-one out of 51 patients (80.4%) were positive for anti-CCP antibodies. Sensitivity and specificity were 80.4% and 100% respectively in this study. Anti-CCP levels correlated significantly with rheumatoid factor, but no correlation was observed with the other parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anti-CCP antibody is prevalent in Malaysian RA patients at 80.4% and more sensitive than RF in our cohort of established RA patients. Even though the anti-CCP levels correlated with RF, it did not show correlation with DAS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. sargunan@um.edu.my
authors.forename: Sargunan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sockalingam
authors.forename: Chow Sook
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Khuan
authors.forename: Pavai
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sthaneshwar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000276:immunology*; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D001323:Autoantibodies; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C487763:cyclic citrullinated peptide; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor