Biochemia Medica, Vol. 18 No. 3, 2008.
Review article
Antibodies to citrullinated proteins/peptides in rheumatoid arthritis: what have we learned so far?
Andrea Tešija Kuna
orcid.org/0000-0001-6871-2686
; University Department of Chemistry, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Marijana Žirović
orcid.org/0000-0002-0569-924X
; University Department of Chemistry, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common inflammatory systemic autoimmune disease with progressive joint destruction but also with multiple organs lesions that result in decreased quality of life and higher mortality rate. Although the etiology of RA remains unclear, a significant progress has been done in the understanding of its pathophysiology. It has led to identification of new therapeutic targets on the one hand, and to discovering of antigens that can recognize RA-specific antibodies on the other hand. The main determinant of target antigens is citrulline, so enzymatic post-translational citrullination of protein in synovial tissue appears to be the key link of the autoimmune process in RA. The ubiquity of citrullinated proteins in physiological and pathological conditions confirms that RA-specific autoimmune response is run by the interaction between citrullination and some undefined genetic and environmental factors.
This paper reviews current knowledge of the mechanism of autoimmune reaction to citrullinated proteins and clinical significance of determination of these antibodies in RA.
Keywords
rheumatoid arthritis; citrullination; peptidylarginine deiminase; anti-CCP antibodies; anti-MCV antibodies
Hrčak ID:
27333
URI
Publication date:
6.10.2008.
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