ABSTRACT
In this study, we aimed to determine the RF and anti cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP) levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in which early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention leads to earlier disease control and less joint damage. The study was carried out at the Ministry of Health Istanbul Göztepe Training and Research Hospital, Rheumatology Clinic on total of 60 patients (afflicted for more than 5 years) of which 45 were female and 15 were male, between the ages of 35 and 65. The patients were divided into two subgroups according to RF results seropositive (n=30) and seronegative (n=30). The control group (n=20) comprised of healthy individuals. Serum RF levels were measured by nephelometric method (Beckman Coulter, USA) and ACCP levels were measured by ELISA (Euroimmun Medizinische Labordiagnostika GmbH, Germany). ACCP antibodies were found to be positive in 96.7% of the seropositive and 26.7% of the seronegative patients and the difference was significant (p<0.01). No positive result was found in control group. It was determined that RF sensitivity of 50%, specifity of 100%, positive predictive values of %100, negative predictive values of %40; ACCP sensitivity of 61.67.%, specifity of 100%, positive predictive values of %100, negative predictive values of %46.51. In conclusion, our study supports the hypothesis that in RA diagnosis, ACCP is a better indicator than RF. It is suggested that using ACCP test as one of the diagnosis criteria of the disease, will provide additional support for early diagnosis and treatment of RA.