JCI Table of Contents, Apr...( hat sera (blood proteins) from the expe...),Health

hat sera (blood proteins) from the experimental mouse model of RA and sera from a patient with RA contained antibodies that specifically recognized citrullinated forms of fibrinogen and filaggrin, proteins in the joint tissue. To understand whether these anti-CCP antibodies were a marker of RA, or were involved directly in the destructive process that takes place within the joint during RA disease, the authors delivered to mice antibodies against citrullinated fibrinogen (another protein in the joint), which resulted in an increase in the symptoms of arthritis such as inflammation in the joint, cartilage destruction, bone destruction, as well as changes in the overall appearance of the tissue, including joint swelling. Importantly, animals that were made tolerant (or resistant) to the citrullinated proteins showed a reduced severity of RA. Together, these results demonstrate that antibodies against citrullinated proteins are centrally involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis. The authors suggest that future therapeutics which inhibit these antibodies or their development may reduce the severity of disease in patients with active disease, or perhaps even prevent the onset of clinically significant arthritis.

In an accompanying commentary, Cornelia M. Weyand from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta states that "the authors deserve praise for these elegant studies, since the study design settles the question of whether anti-CCP antibodies are merely a part of chronic immune stimulation or participate in tissue damage."

TITLE: Antibodies against citrullinated proteins enhance tissue injury in experimental autoimmune arthritis

AUTHOR CONTACT: V. Michael Holers
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, USA

Phone: (303) 315-7952; Fax: (303) 315-5540; E-mail: michael.holers@uchsc.edu

View the PDF of this article at: '"/>

Contact: Brooke Grindlinger
press_releases@the-jci.org
212-342-9006
Journal of Clinical Investigation
3-Apr-2006

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Related medicine news :

1. E/Tablet technology may provide benefits to patients, researchers
2. Tip sheet Annals of Internal Medicine, April 17, 2007
3. Neurosurgery robot unveiled April 17
4. ACS News Service Weekly PressPac -- April 4, 2007
5. Embargoed March/April Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet
6. Tip sheet, Annals of Internal Medicine, April 20, 2006
7. Heart Rhythm Society releases draft recommendations on pacemakers, ICDs on April 26
8. JCI table of contents, April 20, 2006
9. MetOp satellite shipped to Baikonur on 18 April
10. Newsbriefs from the journal Chest, April 2006
11. JCI table of contents, April 6, 2006