QJM Advance Access published online on November 19, 2009
QJM, doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcp165
Autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis: rheumatoid factors and anticitrullinated protein antibodies
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
Address correspondence to Yeong Wook Song, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 28 Yongun-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea. email: ysong{at}snu.ac.kr
| Abstract |
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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease, characterized by chronic, erosive polyarthritis and by the presence of various autoantibodies in serum and synovial fluid. Since rheumatoid factor (RF) was first described, a number of other autoantibodies have been discovered in RA patients. The autoantigens recognized by these autoantibodies include cartilage components, chaperones, enzymes, nuclear proteins and citrullinated proteins. However, the clinical significances and pathogenic roles of these antibodies are largely unknown except for RF and anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs), whose clinical usefulness has been acknowledged due to their acceptable sensitivities and specificities, and prognostic values. This review presents and discusses the current state of the art regarding RF and ACPA in RA.