A Kessel1, I Rosner, E Zuckerman, T D Golan, E Toubi. 1. Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Bnai Zion Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether antikeratin antibodies (AKA) could be useful in the differential diagnosis of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) associated polyarthritis, who are seropositive for rheumatoid factor (RF). METHODS: AKA were assayed in 3 different groups of patients; all were RF seropositive: Group 1: 25 patients with HCV associated polyarthralgia or arthritis. Group 2: 33 patients with RA. Group 3: 13 patients with autoimmune disorders other than RA. Fifteen healthy individuals served as controls. RESULTS: AKA were detected in 20/33 patients with RA (60.6%) compared to only 2/25 patients (8%) with HCV associated arthritis (p < 0.0001). AKA were observed in 2/13 patients of Group 3 (15.3%). These results were also statistically different from those of patients with RA (p = 0.008). AKA were not found in the sera of the healthy controls. CONCLUSION: AKA is a useful marker to differentiate patients with RA from those with hepatitis C arthritis.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether antikeratin antibodies (AKA) could be useful in the differential diagnosis of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) associated polyarthritis, who are seropositive for rheumatoid factor (RF). METHODS: AKA were assayed in 3 different groups of patients; all were RF seropositive: Group 1: 25 patients with HCV associated polyarthralgia or arthritis. Group 2: 33 patients with RA. Group 3: 13 patients with autoimmune disorders other than RA. Fifteen healthy individuals served as controls. RESULTS: AKA were detected in 20/33 patients with RA (60.6%) compared to only 2/25 patients (8%) with HCV associated arthritis (p < 0.0001). AKA were observed in 2/13 patients of Group 3 (15.3%). These results were also statistically different from those of patients with RA (p = 0.008). AKA were not found in the sera of the healthy controls. CONCLUSION: AKA is a useful marker to differentiate patients with RA from those with hepatitis C arthritis.
Authors: Wafaa M Ezzat; Hala M Raslan; Azza A Aly; Nahed A Emara; Manal M El Menyawi; Amr Edrees Journal: Rheumatol Int Date: 2009-11-01 Impact factor: 2.631