Introduction: The anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay has a high sensitivity and specificity for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It has been used in especially early diagnosis of RA, and used to discriminate from other forms of arthritis. Anti-CCP positivity is unknown in brucellosis presented with peripheric arthritis (BPA), like other rheumatic diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the positivity of anti-CCP in patients with BPA in contrast to the patients with RA and healthy controls. Additionally, we have aimed to monitor changes of anti-CCP levels following the brucellosis treatment.
Methods: The study group consisted of 137 subjects. 62 brucellosis patients presented with peripheric arthritis. Additionally, 33 RA patients and 42 healthy subjects selected as control groups. The anti-CCP, rheumatoid factor and anti-nuclear antibody levels of the subjects were measured.
Results: Concerning the 62 BPA, 20 % (13 patients) of them had elevated anti-CCP levels. On the other side, of the 33 RA patients, 78.78 % (26 patients) of them had increased anti-CCP levels. Only one healthy subject's anti-CCP level was positive. There was statistically significant difference among the groups. After brucellosis treatment, monitorisation of the 13 patients with BPA who have the positive anti-CCP levels, were challengingly interesting because none of the patients had positive anti-CCP levels.
Conclusions: Anti-CCP may be positive marker in the diagnosis of BPA but clinicians need to be careful during the follow up period because it may turn into normal ranges. Additionally, patients presented with peripheric arthritis and anti-CCP positivity need to be evaluated also for the differential diagnosis of BPA.