Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.)
The most recent articles from:
Arthritis Rheumatol
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Arthritis Rheumatol · Jan 2014
Structural changes and antibody enrichment in the lungs are early features of anti-citrullinated protein antibody-positive rheumatoid arthritis.
It has been suggested that immunologic events in the lungs may be involved in triggering immunity, in particular production of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) during early phases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to investigate the structural and immunologic features of the lungs in incident cases of early RA in relation to ACPA presence and smoking status. ⋯ The presence of ACPAs is associated with parenchymal lung abnormalities, site-specific citrullination, and antibody enrichment in the lungs early in the development of ACPA-positive RA.