Alessandra Bruns

Antibodies to mutated citrullinated vimentin for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis in anti-CCP-negative patients and for monitoring infliximab therapy

IntroductionAntibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptides (CCPs) are useful for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Antibodies to mutated citrullinated vimentin (MCV) were described recently in RA. The aims of this study were to evaluate the usefulness of anti-MCV for diagnosing RA in anti-CCP-negative patients and to monitor anti-MCV titres during infliximab therapy for RA.MethodsWe studied two groups of RA patients, one with (n = 80) and one without (n = 76) anti-CCP antibodies. The specificity of anti-MCV was evaluated by investigating 50 healthy controls and 158 patients with other rheumatic diseases (51 psoriatic rheumatism, 58 primary Sjögren syndrome, and 49 ankylosis spondylitis). Serum anti-MCV and anti-CCP titres were measured in 23 patients after 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of infliximab treatment. Anti-CCP2 and anti-MCV levels were assayed using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. IgM rheumatoid factor was determined by nephelometry.ResultsIn accordance with the cutoff values recommended by the manufacturer, the specificity of anti-MCV antibodies was 90.9%. We adjusted the cutoff values to obtain the same specificity as that of anti-CCP antibodies (94.2%). With this optimal cutoff, anti-MCV antibodies were found in 11.8% (9/76) of RA patients without anti-CCP, and similarly, anti-CCP antibodies were found in 11.2% (9/80) of RA patients without anti-MCV. Anti-MCV antibodies were positive in 6 patients who tested negative for both anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor. Anti-MCV titres were significantly decreased after 18 and 24 months of infliximab therapy compared with baseline (P < 0.01) as a significant decrease of anti-CCP levels occurred only at 24 months (P < 0.04). Moreover, an anti-MCV decrease was significantly associated with DAS28 (disease activity score using 28 joint counts) improvements 12 months into therapy.ConclusionsOur results suggest that anti-MCV antibodies may be valuable for diagnosing RA in anti-CCP-negative patients without replacing them as an equivalent number of anti-CCP-positive RA patients test negative for anti-MCV. Moreover, anti-MCV antibodies could be useful for monitoring the effects of infliximab therapy.

Microangiopatia livedóide associada à síndrome do anticorpo antifosfolípide (SAF)

Livedoid microangiopathy is a chronic segmental hyalinizing syndrome of dermal blood vessels, of unknown origin, that affects mainly the lower limbs. Histopathologically, both initial as well as late lesion are characterized by few inflammatory cells infiltrate, with prevalent capillary angiogenesis and microthrombi, agglomerate of small capillaries, and dermal deposits of hemosiderin. The absence of a substantial perivascular infiltrate or leukocytoclasia argues against vasculitis, favouring a thrombotic process. Livedoid microangiopathy attacks mainly young and middle-aged women; can be idiopathic, or associated with coagulation alterations including the factor V Leiden mutation, protein C deficiency, increased plasmatic homocysteine, fibrinolysis abnormalities, platelet activation and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS). We describe a case of a patient with livedoid microangiopathy associated with the presence of APS with multiple ulcers in the lower limbs who showed a clinical improvement only after total anticoagulation with warfarin and association with danazol. Livedoid vasculitis can represent an initial clinical manifestation of a group of diseases which cause occlusive vasculopathy; so, every patient should be investigated for the presence of antiphospholipid antibody or of another cause of thrombophilia.