Role of Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies and Rheumatoid Factor in the Diagnosis and Pharmacological Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Two characteristic autoantibodies are tested for the diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA); the rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (CCP). The presence of these antibodies determines that RA is classified as seropositive or seronegative, with important implications both in the clinical development and in the prognosis of the disease. It is interesting to know the role that both, CCPs and RF, play in the diagnosis of RA, as well as the influence that the design of these tests have on the results obtained.