Relation of rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis: cross-sectional study

To analyze the association of rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP) with non-remission and with disease activity measures in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Cross-sectional study of consecutive RA patients. Non-remission was defined as a disease activity score (DAS28) ≥2.6 at study enrollment. The Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) and the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) were additionally measured. Serum titers of RF and anti-CCP were transformed into incremental levels (100/units) and log-transformed levels. Analysis of association with non-remission was done with logistic regression models, with and without adjustment for age, sex, disease duration, and corticoid use. Multiple regression models, raw and similarly adjusted, were used to measure the association of RF and anti-CCP with the disease activity measures. A total of 385 patients were included, of whom 286 (74 %) were not in remission. Log-transformed RF level was associated with an increased risk of non-remission after adjustment (OR = 1.32, 95 % CI 1.04–1.67). This association was especially evident in patients with less than 10 years of disease duration (OR = 1.51, 95 % CI 1.15–1.99) and in those using steroids (OR = 2.06, 95 % CI 1.22–3.48). Serum RF titers and log-transformed RF levels showed a small but significant association with DAS28 score (adjusted beta coefficients 0.002 and 0.18, respectively; both p ≤ 0.01), but neither with SDAI or CDAI nor with anti-CCP antibody. : Log-transformed RF levels might be associated with non-remission in RA, especially in patients with short disease duration or on steroids.