Objective. To evaluate whether serum titers of second-generation anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP2) are associated with the severity and extent of interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA-ILD).Methods. In across-sectional study, 39 RA-ILD patients confirmed by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were compared with 42 RA without lung involvement (RA only). Characteristics related to RA-ILD were assessed in all of the patients and serum anti-CCP2 titers quantified.Results. Higher anti-CCP2 titers were found in RA-ILD compared with RA only (medians 77.9 versus 30.2 U/mL,

P < 0.001

). In the logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age, disease duration (DD), smoke exposure, disease activity, functioning, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and methotrexate (MTX) treatment duration, the characteristics associated with RA-ILD were higher anti-CCP2 titers (

P = 0.003

) and + RF (

P = 0.002

). In multivariate linear regression, the variables associated with severity of ground-glass score were anti-CCP2 titers (

P = 0.02

) and with fibrosis score DD (

P = 0.01

), anti-CCP2 titers (

P < 0.001

), and MTX treatment duration (

P < 0.001

).Conclusions. Anti-CCP2 antibodies are markers of severity and extent of RA-ILD in HRCT. Further longitudinal studies are required to identify if higher anti-CCP2 titers are associated with worst prognosis in RA-ILD.

Publications with shared reference:

0 publications found