Predicting Joint Damage in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis with Anti-CCP Antibodies
Author Information
Author(s): Meyer Olivier, Nicaise-Roland Pascale, Santos Marie dos, Labarre Colette, Dougados Maxime, Goupille Philippe, Cantagrel Alain, Sibilia Jean, Combe Bernard
Primary Institution: Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris
Hypothesis
Can serial measurements of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies predict structural joint damage in early rheumatoid arthritis better than a single baseline measurement?
Conclusion
Serially determined anti-CCP2 antibodies during the first three years of follow-up perform better than baseline determination for predicting radiographic progression in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.
Supporting Evidence
- Anti-CCP2 concentrations were measured using a second-generation ELISA.
- Presence of anti-CCP2 at any time during the first three years was associated with radiographic damage at baseline.
- Patients with negative anti-CCP2 tests throughout follow-up had less radiographic progression than those with increasing concentrations.
Takeaway
Doctors can check a special protein in the blood called anti-CCP2 multiple times to better understand how bad arthritis might get over time.
Methodology
The study followed 99 early rheumatoid arthritis patients for five years, measuring anti-CCP2 antibodies at baseline and after one and three years, and assessing radiographic damage using Sharp scores.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in patient selection and treatment regimens may affect the generalizability of the findings.
Limitations
The sample size may have been inadequate to detect significant associations, and the study only included patients with less than one year of disease duration.
Participant Demographics
72% female, mean age 50.7 years, mean disease duration 4.3 months.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.007
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.3–7.7
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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