Review of Anti-CCP and RF Tests for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Author Information
Author(s): Peter Taylor, Juliane Gartemann, Jeanie Hsieh, James Creeden
Primary Institution: Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Division, Imperial College, London
Hypothesis
This systematic review assesses the current status of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) tests in the diagnosis and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Conclusion
Anti-CCP and RF are clinically valuable biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of RA patients.
Supporting Evidence
- Anti-CCP2 assays provide improved sensitivity over anti-CCP assays and RF.
- The combination of anti-CCP2 and RF assays demonstrates a positive predictive value nearing 100%.
- Anti-CCP tests have been shown to be both more sensitive and more specific for RA than RF.
- Studies indicate that anti-CCP positivity is an important predictor of radiographic progression in RA patients.
- Current research supports the hypothesis that RA patients who are positive or negative for anti-CCP antibodies may constitute two subsets of the RA syndrome.
Takeaway
Doctors can use special blood tests called anti-CCP and RF to help find out if someone has rheumatoid arthritis, which can hurt their joints.
Methodology
The review included 85 publications, with 68 from MEDLINE and 17 from non-MEDLINE sources, focusing on the performance of anti-CCP and RF tests.
Limitations
Differences in cut-off values, sensitivities, and specificities exist between first-, second-, and third-generation tests.
Participant Demographics
Approximately 1.3 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with RA.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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