Immunological Significance of Vimentin and Leukotriene B4 in a Comparison with Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies in Iraqi Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease, which primarily affects the joints and is characterized by inflammation of synovial joints.

Objectives: The study aimed to detect the levels of ESR, CRP, and ACCP with VIM and LTB4, and to investigate the prognostic value of these biomarkers included in the study in a comparison with ACCP as well as predict the activity of the disease.

Methods: The study was a case-control, total of 150 individuals, Rheumatoid arthritis patients were n=100; females were 84 and males were 16, and healthy controls were n=50; females were 40 and males were 10. The study was conducted at Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Rheumatology unit, between October 2023 to March 2024

Results: Findings demonstrated that ESR, CRP, ACCP, VIM, and LTB4 levels were all highly statistically significant in Rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to healthy controls, p<0.001. The biomarkers levels in patients group according activity of disease based on clinical disease activity index values, the levels in patients with severe activity of disease which clinical disease activity index >22 were significantly higher compared to those found in patients with moderate or low disease activity. which clinical disease activity index ≤22 and p<0.001, furthermore all activities categories of disease were higher levels than healthy control level.

Conclusions: The study concluded and demonstrated that ESR, CRP, ACCP, VIM, and LTB4 were potential biomarkers to differentiation between RA patients and healthy control with it were promising to predict activity of disease and response to treatments, such as methotrexate and etanercept.