Development of the anti-citrullinated protein antibody repertoire prior to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To examine how anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) epitope spreading takes place prior to the onset of clinical rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to analyze the pattern of autoantigen reactivity at the beginning of the immune response.

Methods: Multiple consecutive serum samples from 79 RA patients who had donated blood before disease onset were available for analysis. Fifty-three patients tested positive for ACPAs prior to the onset of clinical RA.

Improvement of thyroid function in hypothyroid patients with rheumatoid arthritis after 6 months of adalimumab treatment: a pilot study.

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by high levels of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF). TNF appears to have an etiologic role in thyroid dysfunction, and thyroid dysfunction is a common comorbidity in RA. Anti-TNF treatment might limit thyroid dysfunction.

The extent of the anti-citrullinated protein antibody repertoire is associated with arthritis development in patients with seropositive arthralgia.

Objectives: To determine the fine specificity of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) in the early phase of arthritis development, the ACPA repertoire in arthralgia patients and the association with arthritis development were studied.

Methods: A total of 244 patients with arthralgia positive for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (aCCPs) and/or IgM rheumatoid factor (IgM-RF), without arthritis were included. Development of arthritis was defined as presence of one or more swollen joints at clinical examination during follow-up.

Different properties of ACPA and IgM-RF derived from a large dataset: further evidence of two distinct autoantibody systems.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine seroconversion and the relationship with age and inflammation of autoantibodies in a large group of patients attending an outpatient rheumatology clinic.

Methods: Levels of antibodies to citrullinated proteins/peptides (ACPAs) and IgM rheumatoid factor (IgM-RF) were determined in 22,427 samples collected from 18,658 patients. The diagnosis was derived from a diagnosis registration system.