Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic synovial inflammation. The insufficient immune clearance of the apoptotic cell results into the formation of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies which may play a critical role in the initiations of inflammatory responses. These antibodies together with Matrix Metalloproteinase-3 play an important role in joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis disease.
Objectives: to study the value of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, and Matrix Metalloproteinase-3 in differentiation between active and inactive rheumatoid arthritis.
Patients and Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted on 60 Iraqi patients with rheumatoid arthritis (16 males and 44 females) aging from 29 to 74 years who presented to the Rheumatology Consultation Clinic of Baghdad Teaching Hospital / Medical City during the period of July 2013 to the end of October 2013. The patients were divided, according to rheumatoid arthritis activity depending on Disease Activity Score 28 and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, into two groups: 30 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and the other 30 patients with inactive rheumatoid arthritis. Quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique was used to measure serum level of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, and Matrix Metalloproteinase-3.
Results: The means concentration of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, and Matrix Metalloproteinase-3 were significantly higher in rheumatoid arthritis cases with active disease compared to those with inactive disease. The disease activity index DAS28 showed a statistically significant strong positive (direct) linear correlation with serum MMP3 (r=0.762) and serum ACCP (r=0.806). In addition, serum MMP3 showed a statistically significant moderately strong positive (direct) linear correlation with serum ACCP (r=0.64). Both serum MMP3 and ACCP had a higher validity than blood ESR (which is used itself in calculating DAS28) is predicting an active disease status.
Conclusion: Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies and Matrix Metalloproteinase-3 could be useful biological markers for assessment of rheumatoid arthritis disease activity.
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized by joint inflammation and the presence of autoantibodies, mostly Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (ACCP) which are released when the body loses its ability to distinguish between self and foreign molecules. Serum amyloid A2 (SAA2) is an acute phase protein produced in response to inflammatory conditions including RA.
Objectives: To investigate the prognostic ability of SAA2 in comparison with ACCP and the prediction of disease activity and response to treatment by Methotrexate and Etanercept in Iraqi RA patients.
Patients and methods: A case control study, on a to
... Show MoreBack ground:-Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common forms of inflammatory polyarthritis, with a prevalence of approximately 0.8% of adults worldwide, Rheumatoid arthritis patients may become disabled within few years if untreated that may lead to permanent disability. Different biomarkers have been assessed for the improved diagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis, including a wide range of autoantibodies. However, only rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP) have gained wide acceptance.
Aim of the study to investigate the levels of ACCP, Leptin, and Lipoprotein (a) in females with RA to provide information on possible pathophysiologic mechanisms, and to give re
... Show MoreBackground: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects mainly the synovial membranes and articular structures and is characterized by chronic, systemic inflammation involving multiple joints.Being a synovial joint, the Temporomandibular Joint is subject to the same disorders affecting other synovial joints, including RA.Beside it was considered as a specific serological marker for diagnosing RA disease ,antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide have proven to be associated with joints destruction, though; it may play a potential role in the prediction of the disease severity. Materials and Methods: Sixty nine individuals (69) were enrolled in this study, forty nine (49) were patients diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, a
... Show MoreBackground: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) characterized by local and systemic effects of inflammation has a wide range of biochemical markers implicated directly or indirectly to its pathogenesis.
Patients and method: Serum of (55 Females) of newly diagnosed RA and 23 healthy Females were used to estimate their interlukine levels.Objective: To evaluate interlukine 35 (IL-35) in Iraqi females with newly diagnosed
RA and to assess its contribution in the disease process.
Results: Females of RA showed a significant increase in the levels of interleukine 35(IL-35) and in the levels of High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs CRP). While there
... Show MoreChitinase-3-like 1 protein (YKL-40) is a glycoprotein primarily produced in the arthritic joint and plays a crucial role in inflammatory processes. The aim of the study is to establish the role of YKL-40 as a biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to proinflammatory biomarkers and disease activity. The study included 58 patients and 18 control. Diseases activity score (DAS-28) and clinical disease activity index (CDAI) were measured. Serum level of YKL-40, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1B (IL-1β), erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) were assessed. The results showed that the median serum YKL-40 level which was 5.42
... Show MoreBackground: Anti-RA33 antibodies and anti-CCP antibodies are highly specific markers for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but are not detectable in all RA patients.
Anti-RA33 antibodies are directed to the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2 (hnRNP-A2),while anti-CCP antibodies are directed to modified epitope on proteins that undergo conversion of amino acid arginine to citrullin by citrullination.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to show the correlation between anti-RA33 antibodies, anti-CCP antibodies and rheumatoid factor (RF) in terms of sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in Iraqi patients.
Subjects and methods: This s
... Show MoreBack ground:-Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease characterized by progressive, erosive and chronic poly arthritis, where cellular proliferation of the synoviocytes and neo-angiogenesis leads to formation of pannus which destroys the articular cartilage and the bone .
Objective :-to evaluate theOxidative Stress index( OSI )by measuring malondialdehide( MDA) and Total Antioxidant Capacity( TAC) in serum of RA patients in addition to uric acid and albumin and to investigate the alteration in these parameters compared to healthy individuals.
Patients and Methods :- twenty five patients with rheumatoid arithritis and twenty five apparen
... Show MoreRheumatoid arthritis (RA), is an autoimmune, and inflammatory disease that is closely related to the destruction of cartilage and bone. DC-SIGN are important types of C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), expressed on dendritic cells and macrophages, and have a central role in regulating innate and adaptive immunity, function as pattern recognition receptors, and as cell adhesion molecules. Recent evidence has demonstrated that DC-SIGN is involved in the pathophysiological of chronic inflammation, so DC-SIGN has been linked to several autoimmune and may play an essential indicator in the pathogenesis and progression of RA. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the serum level of DC-SIGN in RA patients, as well as the level of DC
... Show MoreBackground: Cytokines have an essential contribution to the inflammatory response and the development of chronic inflammation. Therefore, it has a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Interleukins are closely related to RA, and the exact role of some interleukins in the pathogenesis of RA is not yet known.
Objectives: To evaluate the levels of interleukins and their ratio, since the levels of interleukins 35 and 39 in RA patients have not yet been determined in Iraq.
Patients and methods: An ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) was used to measure the levels of interleukins in the blood of 56 patients with RA and 44 healthy volunteers who were enrolled in the study from November 2021 to March 2022.
mucosal secretions as well as in secondary granules of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Anti-Elastase antibodies, anti-Lactoferrin antibodies,anti-Cathapsin G antibodies and anti-Lysozyme antibodies, which belong to Perinuclear Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies(pANCA) have been described in several immunomediated diseases, including Rheumatoid Arthritis .
Objectives: Investigate the prevalence of anti-Elastase antibodies, anti-Lactoferrin antibodies,anti-Cathapsin G antibodies , anti- Lysozyme antibodies and rheumatoid factor in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in comparison to healthy control.
Patients &Methods: The study involved 40 Rheumatoid Arthritis patients who were referred to Immunolog