Evaluation of the Value of Anti-Citrullinated α-enolase Peptide 1 Antibody in the Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Goals: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease. The α enolase is a nuclear glycolytic enzyme. Antibodies to citrullinated-enolase peptide1(anti-CEP-1) are found in approximately 40% of patients with RA, but the diagnostic value of anti-CEP-1 for RA is not clear.

Methods: We enrolled 282 patients with RA according to the 2010 ACR Classification criteria, referred to the department of Rheumatology in Peking University Third Hospital, 120 sex- and age-matched healthy donors (HD), and 30 patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Anti-CEP-1 IgG antibodies were assessed with a commercially available ELISA kit (Euroimmun, Germany) according to the manufacturers' instructions. Anti-CCP antibodies were assessed with ECLIA (Roche, Germany). Data was processed with SPSS 19. The scatter diagram was drawn in GraphPad Prism.

Results: The specificity and sensitivity was 83.3% and 65.2%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 88% and the negative predictive value was 56%. The AUC of anti-CEP1 for diagnosis of RA is 0.80, while that of Anti-CCP is 0.919; the value of anti-CCP combined with anti-CEP1 is 0.914. Ten anti-CEP1 positive results are found in 48 patients of RA with anti-CCP negative result.

Conclusion: The anti-CEP-1 is suitable for diagnosing of RA, but not superior to anti-CCP.

Keywords: Anti-CCP; Anti-CEP-1; Rheumatoid arthritis.