Assessment of serum antimutated citrullinated vimentin antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract EN

Background Early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) leads to better control and prevents irreversible joint damage.

Antimutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) is one of the members of the anticitrullinated antibody family that can function as a serological marker in the early diagnosis of RA.

Aim of the work This study aimed to measure serum levels of anti-MCV antibodies and study their relationship using clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings in RA patients.

Patients and methods We measured anti-MCV in the serum of 60 RA patients, in 20 patients with psoriatic arthritis, and in 20 healthy controls.

In RA patients, the disease activity score (DAS28) and the Health Assessment Questionnaire score were used.

The immunoglobulin-M rheumatoid factor titer, anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP) titer, and C-reactive protein levels were also measured.

The hands of RA patients were radiologically scored using the Larsen method.

Results In RA patients the mean anti-MCV antibody serum level was 150.83 ± 125.95 U/ml, which was significantly higher (P < 0.001) compared with the mean serum level in psoriatic arthritis patients and healthy controls (17.4 ± 10.039 and 17.2 ± 10.63 U/ml, respectively).

Serum levels of anti-MCV antibodies significantly correlated with DAS28 (r = 0.79, P < 0.05), Health Assessment Questionnaire scores (r = 0.53, P < 0.05), rheumatoid factor titer (r = 0.74, P < 0.05), anti-CCP antibody titer (r = 0.83, P < 0.05), and Larsen’s score (r = 0.76, P < 0.05).

Conclusion The significantly elevated anti-MCV antibody levels that are well correlated with RA disease activity and severity markers are highly suggestive of their potential role in the pathogenesis of RA.

The considerable correlation of anti-MCV antibodies with other autoantibodies would imply their consistent diagnostic and prognostic role