02730nas a2200373   4500000000100000008004100001260005100042653001000093653000900103653002600112653001900138653002800157653001100185653001100196653001200207653000900219653001100228653001600239653002100255653002600276653002200302100002000324700002100344700002100365700002200386700002000408700001600428700001100444245011600455300001100571490000700582520175300589022001402342       2012                            d  c2012 NovbSpringer Berlin / HeidelbergaBerlin10aAdult10aAged10aArthritis, Rheumatoid10aAutoantibodies10aCross-Sectional Studies10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMexico10aMiddle Aged10aPeptides, Cyclic10aRetrospective Studies10aRheumatoid Factor1 aZavala-Cerna MG1 aFafutis-Morris M1 aGuillen-Vargas C1 aSalazar-Páramo M1 aGarcía-Cruz DE1 aRiebeling C1 aNava A00aAnti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies and rheumatoid factor sera titers in leprosy patients from Mexico.  a3531-60 v323 a<p>Leprosy offers a broad spectrum of altered immunological sceneries, ranging from strong cell-mediated immune responses seen in tuberculoid leprosy (TT), through borderline leprosy (BB), to the virtual absence of T cell responses characteristic in lepromatous leprosy (LL). The exact mechanism of autoantibodies production remains unknown in leprosy and other chronic inflammatory diseases and also the contribution of these antibodies to the pathogenesis of the disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency and profiles of serum anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (a-CCP), rheumatoid factor (RF) and its relationship with leprosy spectrum. Serum samples from 67 leprosy patients (54 LL, 5 TT and 8 BB) and 46 clinically healthy subjects (CHS) from the same endemic region were investigated. The clinical chart and questionnaire were used to obtain clinical information. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (a-CCP) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas the rheumatoid factor (RF) levels were measured by nephelometric method. The mean age of patients was 51.5 ± 13 years. Sera levels of a-CCP where higher in leprosy patients than in CHS (5.9 ± 11.6 vs. 0.3 ± 0.29) (P < 0.0001); the same pattern was found for RF sera titers without reaching statistical significance (16.8 ± 22.5 vs. 9.9 ± 3) (P = NS). We did not find a correlation between a-CCP and RF Rho =0.02786 (IC 95%) P = 0.8229. However, LL patients had higher a-CCP and RF levels than TT patients. Although an absence in correlation was observed, the serum levels of a-CCP antibodies and RF appeared to be useful in distinguishing LL from TT patients with a limited significance in detecting reactional leprosy patients.</p>  a1437-160X