Anti-cyclic citrullinated Peptide frequency in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and effect of presence of systemic disease.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may show a variety of rheumatic symptoms and signs. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) is widely used as as a marker, particularly for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and may be positive in some diseases that also cause arthritis, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, familial Mediterranean fever, Behçet's disease, and psoriatic arthritis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples were obtained (in routine protocols) from 57 patients with chronic HCV infection from the Gastroenterology Clinic of Ataturk University and Infectious Disease Clinic of Erzurum Region Research and Education Hospital. Normal sera were obtained from volunteer blood donors at Ataturk University.

RESULTS: Anti-CCP antibodies were found in 5 chronic HCV patients with RA. The patient with the highest anti-CCP antibody level had RA. No patient in the control group was positive for anti-CCP antibodies.

CONCLUSION: Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies should be measured frequently in patients with HCV and an additional systemic disease, such as end-stage chronic renal failure, chronic obstructive airway disease, and decompensated liver cirrhosis, to differentiate RA from non-RA arthropathy.