The Diagnostic and Clinical Significance of Anti-Mutated Citrullinated Vimentin Antibodies in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease: A Scoping Review

Rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is one of the most severe extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), requiring reliable biomarkers for early detection. This scoping review synthesized current evidence regarding the diagnostic performance and clinical associations of anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) antibodies in patients with RA-ILD. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. Following systematic screening, two observational studies met the predefined inclusion criteria. Both included studies reported significantly higher anti-MCV positivity rates and/or serum levels in patients with RA-ILD compared with RA patients without pulmonary involvement. Specifically, one study identified an independent association between anti-MCV positivity and RA-ILD, while the other demonstrated significant correlations between anti-MCV titers and pulmonary function impairment, as well as disease activity markers. However, substantial heterogeneity was observed across the studies regarding assay platforms, positivity thresholds, and diagnostic cut-offs, which limits the direct comparability of results. While anti-MCV antibodies represent promising candidate biomarkers for RA-ILD, current evidence remains limited and is insufficient to establish definitive diagnostic, prognostic, or pathogenic significance. Consequently, larger, prospective, and multi-center studies utilizing standardized anti-MCV assay protocols are necessary to rigorously evaluate the clinical utility of these antibodies in the management of RA-ILD.