Abstract

Objectives: To assess the possible presence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of autoantibodies recognising citrullinated peptides derived from type I and II collagens.

Methods: Firstly, the binding of four pairs of synthetic peptides (arginine-containing and artificially citrullinated forms) related to different regions of human type II collagen were tested with sera from 120 patients with RA and 81 controls. Secondly, two similar pairs of peptides related to the carboxy terminal telopeptides of the α1 and α2 chains of human type I collagen were tested.

Results: 42–53% of the RA sera showed increased binding of arginine peptides related to type II collagen. However, 12 RA sera bound the citrullinated form of the α1(II) telopeptide more strongly than the corresponding arginine peptide. 20 RA sera bound the citrullinated carboxytelopeptide from the α1 chain of type I collagen (α1(I) telopeptide) more strongly than the respective arginine peptide. The correlation between the autoantibodies to type I and II collagen telopeptides was r_s = 0.576, p<0.001. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) assay was positive in 71/120 (59%) patients with RA. An anti-CCP assay detects a different subgroup of antibodies than anti-telopeptide assays. However, both anti-telopeptide and anti-CCP antibodies were increased in patients with RA.

Conclusion: Some patients with RA were identified whose sera contained antibodies that specifically bound citrullinated peptides related to the carboxy terminal telopeptides of the α1 and α2 chains of type I collagen and the α1 chains of type II collagen (sequences YYXA, FYXA, and YMXA, where X stands for citrulline).