Department of Microbiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Rheumatology Clinic, Naval Hospital of Athens, Greece.
Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2021 Sep-Oct;39(5):1033-1042. doi: 10.55563/clinexprheumatol/pcozc1. Epub 2020 Oct 29.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can lead to joint destruction and early institution of effective treatment can preserve joint function. Biomarkers can establish early diagnosis and predict effect of treatment. Vault particles, large cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein particles that participate in inflammation, might serve as biomarkers. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic and the prognostic value of major vault protein (MVP) and their antibodies in RA.
Serum samples from 159 RA patients, 26 early RA (ERA) patients, 21 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and 30 healthy individuals were tested for MVP, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Rheumatoid factor (RF) was tested by nephelometry, and anti-MVP antibodies were detected by anti-MVP peptide ELISA using an in-house protocol.
MVP levels were higher in RA and ERA, compared to OA and healthy controls (p<0.00001). A combination of MVP with RF or anti-CCP showed an improved diagnostic accuracy compared to RF or anti-CCP alone in RA and ERA. MVP exhibited similar AUC levels to anti-CCP and RF in RA whereas in ERA, MVP exhibited the same or slightly higher AUC levels, compared to anti-CCP and RF, respectively. High MVP levels were associated with lack of response to treatment. Levels of anti-MVP peptide 2 antibodies were significantly higher in RA compared to healthy controls (t= 2.73, p=0.007).
MVP and autoantibodies against MVP may have the potential to serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in RA.
类风湿关节炎（RA）可导致关节破坏，早期有效治疗可保留关节功能。生物标志物可用于早期诊断并预测治疗效果。穹窿颗粒是一种参与炎症的大型细胞质核糖核蛋白颗粒，可能作为生物标志物。本研究旨在评估主要穹窿蛋白（MVP）及其抗体在 RA 中的诊断和预后价值。
采用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）检测 159 例 RA 患者、26 例早期 RA（ERA）患者、21 例骨关节炎（OA）患者和 30 名健康对照者的 MVP、抗环瓜氨酸肽（抗-CCP）和 C 反应蛋白（CRP）血清样本。采用散射比浊法检测类风湿因子（RF），并采用自制抗 MVP 肽 ELISA 检测抗 MVP 抗体。
与 OA 和健康对照组相比，RA 和 ERA 患者的 MVP 水平更高（p<0.00001）。与 RF 或抗-CCP 单独相比，MVP 与 RF 或抗-CCP 的联合检测可提高 RA 和 ERA 的诊断准确性。在 RA 中，MVP 的 AUC 水平与抗-CCP 和 RF 相似，而在 ERA 中，MVP 的 AUC 水平与抗-CCP 和 RF 分别相似或略高。高水平的 MVP 与治疗无反应相关。与健康对照组相比，RA 患者的抗 MVP 肽 2 抗体水平显著升高（t=2.73，p=0.007）。
MVP 及其针对 MVP 的自身抗体可能有潜力成为 RA 的诊断和预后生物标志物。
