The types and combinations of different antibodies in the blood of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers can significantly alter the likelihood of joint damage and progression in the first year of disease

The types and combinations of different antibodies in the blood of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sufferers can significantly alter the likelihood of joint damage and progression in the first year of disease, according to RACE-supported research led by Professor Karim Raza.

Published in Lancet Rheumatology, samples and data from Scottish Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (SERA) inception cohort were used to study the impact of autoantibodies in patients with new-onset RA.

People with RA have a variable rate of damage to their joints over time and therefore different likelihood of becoming disabled.

There is, therefore, lots of interest in identifying those people most at risk of rapid destruction of joints by the inflammation that is characteristic of the disease.

This study builds on a remarkable collection of samples obtained as part of a pan-Scottish collaboration of NHS and academic rheumatologists, which is following up more than 1,000 people with RA in an attempt to better understand the course of disease.

It identifies that the types and combinations of different antibodies in the blood of people with RA can significantly alter the likelihood of joint damage and progression in the first year of disease.

This could potentially lead to a more targeted approach to treatment strategies in early disease.

Professor Iain McInnes, Chair of the RACE Management Committee and a study co-author, said: "This is a particularly exciting paper in part because it demonstrates the importance of understanding the detail of immune dysfunction in early RA in determining who will suffer most disability in future.

"It is also a wonderful example of collaborative science bringing together NHS, academic and industry partners to push forward understanding of RA at the boundaries of knowledge."

The impact of autoantibodies against citrullinated, carbamylated, and acetylated peptides on radiographic progression in patients with new-onset rheumatoid arthritis: an observational cohort study

  • Jagtar S Nijjar, Fraser R Morton, Holger Bang, Prof Christopher D Buckley, Prof Désirée van der Heijde, MD Ashley Gilmour, Caron Paterson, Prof Iain B McInnes, Prof Duncan Porter, Prof Karim Raza 
  • Published:January 27, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2665-9913(20)30381-7

First published: 8 February 2021

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