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Circulating antibodies against citrullinated peptides are highly specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and associated with RA disease progression.1 ,2 We have previously reported that antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) are associated with severe extra-articular RA (ExRA) manifestations, although rheumatoid factor (RF) levels seemed to be more important in active ExRA than anti-CCP levels.3
Another RA-related antibody, the anti-Sa antibody, which has been associated with severe joint damage in RA,4 reacts with citrullinated vimentin.5 Most studies have shown that antibodies to modified citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) have a higher sensitivity but a lower specificity for RA than anti-CCP, although there are conflicting results.6 To our knowledge, no studies have previously reported on the relation between anti-MCV and severe ExRA.
We enrolled 35 …
Footnotes
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Contributors Study concept and design: CT, LTHJ, GS, JR; acquisition of data: CT, LM, LTHJ, JR; analysis and interpretation of data: CT, LM, LTHJ, GS, JR; drafting of manuscript: CT, JR. All authors contributed to critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content.
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Funding The Swedish Research Council (2010–2891), Lund University, the Åke Viberg foundation and the Swedish Rheumatism Association.
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Competing interests None.
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Ethics approval Regional Ethical Review Board in Lund, Sweden.
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Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.