title: Antibodies to Cyclic Citrullinated Peptides in Patients With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Shared Expression of the Inherently Autoreactive 9G4 Idiotype.
abstract: Antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can express the inherently autoreactive gene VH4-34, detected using the rat monoclonal antibody 9G4. Patients with the polyarticular subtype of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) share some but not all of the features of adult patients with RA. This study was undertaken to compare serologic findings for rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-CCP, and 9G4-expressing anti-CCP in a large JIA cohort with a cohort of adult RA patients.
  
  
  
  Serum from 88 patients with polyarticular JIA, 29 patients with enthesitis-related arthritis, 38 patients with extended oligoarthritis, 31 adolescent controls, 35 patients with RA, and 30 adult controls were tested for RF, for IgG, IgA, and IgM anti-CCP, and for 9G4-expressing anti-CCP by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Total serum 9G4-positive IgM was also measured.
  
  
  
  Of 65 patients with RF-negative polyarticular JIA, 4 (6.2%) were IgG anti-CCP positive. Sera from 20 of 23 patients with RF-positive polyarticular JIA (87.0%), 24 of 35 patients with RA (68.6%), and 1 patient with extended oligoarthritis contained IgG anti-CCP. IgA and IgM anti-CCP levels were lower in the adolescent group (P < 0.01). Levels of 9G4-expressing anti-CCP were higher in patients with RF-positive polyarticular JIA than in those with RF-negative polyarticular JIA (P < 0.0001). Median levels of 9G4-expressing anti-CCP in patients with RF-positive polyarticular JIA and those with RA did not differ. Expression of 9G4 on serum total IgM was greater in patients with RF-positive polyarticular JIA than other adolescent groups (P < 0.01), but similar to adult RF-positive RA.
  
  
  
  In healthy individuals, 9G4-positive B cells comprise 5-10% of the peripheral blood pool but serum immunoglobulins utilizing VH4-34 are disproportionately low. The idiotope recognized by 9G4 was detected on anti-CCP antibodies in >80% of patients with RF-positive polyarticular JIA. VH4-34 usage by anti-CCP in both JIA and RA patients suggest elicitation of these autoantibodies through shared pathogenic B cell selection processes.
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research UK Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peckham
authors.affiliation: University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Geraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cambridge
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research UK Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bourke
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research UK Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Debajit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research UK Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radziszewska
authors.affiliation: University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leandro
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research UK Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Yiannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ioannou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000276:immunology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C487763:cyclic citrullinated peptide; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor