Original Research Article Diagnostic Value of Specific Auto-Antibody Markers in Albanian Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic role of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, rheumatoid factor including RF isotypes and antinuclear antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: This prospective study, conducted during the time interval from November 2010 to November 2012, included 126 consecutive patients sent from the Rheumatology Clinic of the University Hospital Center of Tirana. In all the RA patients, ACPA, RF screen, RF IgA, IgM, IgG isotypes and ANA were tested using respectively ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence methods. Results: The age of RA patients ranged from 17 to 78 years and 84 % of them were females. The prevalence rates of ACPA, RF and ANA were 54.4 %, 44.4 % and 39.7 % respectively. 35 % of patients resulted positive for both specific serological markers (ACPA and RF). Positive results with two or three RF isotypes detected together were observed in 38.8 % of patients. The RF isotype pattern IgM + / IgA+ was found in 13.5 % of patients, whereas RF isotype patterns IgA+ / IgG+ and IgM+/IgG+ have been detected at a rate of 1.6 % respectively. The most frequent pattern (IgA+/IgM+/IgG+) RF was in 22.2 % of RF screen positive patients