Antikeratin antibodies (AKAS)‎ : usefulness in differentiation between rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis C virus associated arthritis

الملخص EN

Background: Among the different clinical disorders associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, articular involvement is a frequent complication.

Symmetric polyarthritis associated with HCV infection frequently displays a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) like clinical picture.

Thus, differentiating patients with HCV related symmetric polyarthritis from patients with RA represents both a diagnostic and a therapeutic challenge. Objective: Our aim was to investigate whether antikeratin antibodies (AKAs) could be useful markers in differentiating patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); from patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) associated polyarthritis who are seropositive for rheumatoid factor (RF). Methodology: Serum AKAs were determined in two groups of patients; all were RF seropositive.

Group (I): 25 patients with HCV associated symmetric polyarthralgia or arthritis; Group (II): 25 patients with RA (ACR revised criteria for diagnosis of RA, 1988).

Fifteen healthy individuals, age and sex matched, served as controls.

AKAs were tested using an indirect immunofluorescence technique with 1:10 serum dilution.

Results: The study revealed that AKAs were detected in 15/25 (60%) patients with true RA and in only 3/25 (12%) patients with HCV associated arthritis (p<0.0001).

AKAs were not found in the sera of the healthy controls.

Conclusions: AKAs can be useful markers in differentiating patients with true RA from those with HCV arthritis.