Summary
Aim of the study – to identify the possible association between rheumatoid arthritis markers – antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and inflammatory serum proteins.
Material and methods. A group of 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (average age of the subjects – 57.5±14.9 years) was studied and analyzed. Determination of the concentration of antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) was performed by immunoenzymatic analysis. Agarose gel electrophoresis and NDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis were performed to assess fractionations of serum proteins and anti-CCP possible association to inflammatory proteins. 10 subjects’ blood serum samples with a negative anti-CCP test result were selected as the control group.
Results. Agarose gel electrophoresis fractionation of serum proteins showed a lower expression of the 60 kDa protein in anti-CCP-positive patients compared with anti-CCP-negative controls. Single proteins of ~90 kDa, 110–118 kDa and above 200 kDa were detected in several fractions (1, 6, 17). SDS-PAGE also detected a lower expression of the 60 kDa protein in anti-CCP-positive patients. Higher protein variation below 20 kDa was detected. In fractions containing serum from anti-CCP-positive patients, a smaller protein size (15 kDa) was observed.
Conclusions. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed no anti-CCP link to inflammatory proteins; NDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis showed a possible anti-CCP association to the acute-phase inflammatory protein – serum amyloid A.
