Anti-citrullinated protein antibody – Introduction

Anti-citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPAs) are autoantibodies (antibodies directed against one or more of the individual’s own proteins) frequently detected in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Anti-citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPAs) are autoantibodies (antibodies directed against one or more of the individual’s own proteins) frequently detected in rheumatoid arthritis patients. During inflammation, citrulline is incorporated enzymatically into proteins. This is called citrullination. Recently, these ACPAs have turned up as powerful biomarkers, which are accepted as a major diagnostic tool in diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) already in a very early stage of disease.


Adapted from the Wikipedia article Anti-citrullinated protein antibody, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki








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