RESEARCH - The effect of Enbrel on anti-CCP antibodies and RF in patients with RA

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Ann Rheum Dis. 2005 Jun 23; [Epub ahead of print]

The effect of etanercept on anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies and

rheumatoid factor in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Chen HA, Lin KC, Chen CH, Liao HT, Wang HP, Chang HN, Tsai CY, Chou CT.

Section of Allergy-Immunology-Rheumatology,Department of Medicine, Veterans

General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the changes in anti- cyclic citrullinated peptide

antibodies (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) following etanercept

treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The study

included 90 RA patients who failed treatment with disease modifying

anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). All patients were allowed to continue

treatment with DMARDs, and 52 of them received etanercept as a twice-weekly

25-mg subcutaneous injection for 3 months, while the others did not. Serum

samples were collected at baseline and one-month intervals during the

treatment course. The serum levels of anti-CCP and RF were tested by

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and nephelometry, respectively.

RESULTS: At baseline, 45 of the 52 etanercept- treated patients (86.5%) and

32 of the 38 control patients (84.2%) were positive for anti-CCP. Tests of

RF were positive in 78.9% and 84.2% of patients with or without etanercept

treatment, respectively. The serum levels of anti-CCP and RF decreased

significantly after a three-month etanercept treatment (p=0.007 and p=0.006,

respectively). The average decrease from baseline calculated for each

individual patient in the etanercept- treated group was 31.3% for anti-CCP

and 36% for RF. The variation in anti-CCP was positively correlated with the

variation in disease activity, swollen and tender joint counts, RF, and C

reactive protein (CRP).

CONCLUSIONS: Etanercept combined with DMARDs leads to a much greater

decrease than DMARDs alone in the serologic levels of anti-CCP and RF in RA,

compatible with a reduction in clinical disease activity.

PMID: 15975966

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

5975966 & dopt=Abstract

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