New Blood Test Determines Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk

A biomarker discovered during a blood test can detect the likelihood of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) up to 16 years before symptoms arise, according to new research.

Citrullinated proteins form when inflammation occurs in the body, and can cause an immune response in which antibodies may attack the body, which leads to RA. Tests already in use today use these antibodies to diagnose the disease, but early detection is key to effective treatment and control of the disease, researchers noted.
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To conduct their study, researchers examined 4 cohorts from around the world, totaling about 2000 patients. They tested different antibodies that attack citrullinated proteins commonly found in the joints of individuals with RA using mass spectrometry analysis.

Their test detected RA in 50% of cases, including some cases not detected by the more-general CCP test, which detects synthetic citrullinated peptides and is commonly used to diagnose RA. Researchers also found the test to be 98% accurate at ruling out RA.

“This discovery therefore gives us an additional test that can be used to increase the accuracy of the CCP assay and that can predict RA, enabling us to monitor people and spot the disease early,” researchers concluded.

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Schwenzer A, Jiang X, Mikuls TR, et al. Identification of an immunodominant peptide from citrullinated tenascin-C as a major target for autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Published online December 9, 2015. http://ard.bmj.com/content/early/2015/12/09/annrheumdis-2015-208495.