Antibodies to a strain-specific citrullinated Epstein-Barr virus peptide diagnoses rheumatoid arthritis

TY - JOUR

T1 - Antibodies to a strain-specific citrullinated Epstein-Barr virus peptide diagnoses rheumatoid arthritis

AU - Trier, Nicole Hartwig

AU - Holm, Bettina Eide

AU - Heiden, Julie

AU - Slot, Ole

AU - Locht, Henning

AU - Lindegaard, Hanne

AU - Svendsen, Anders

AU - Nielsen, Christoffer Tandrup

AU - Jacobsen, Søren

AU - Theander, Elke

AU - Houen, Gunnar

PY - 2018/12/1

Y1 - 2018/12/1

N2 - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease. Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) are crucial for the serological diagnosis of RA, where Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been suggested to be an environmental agent in triggering the onset of the disease. This study aimed to analyse antibody reactivity to citrullinated EBV nuclear antigen-2 (EBNA-2) peptides from three different EBV strains (B95-8, GD1 and AG876) using streptavidin capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. One peptide, only found in a single strain (AG876), obtained a sensitivity and specificity of 77% and 95%, respectively and showed high sequence similarity to the filaggrin peptide originally used for ACPA detection. Comparison of antibody reactivity to commercial assays found that the citrullinated peptide was as effective in detecting ACPA as highly sensitive and specific commercial assays. The data presented demonstrate that the citrullinated EBNA-2 peptide indeed is recognised specifically by RA sera and that the single peptide is able to compete with assays containing multiple peptides. Furthermore, it could be hypothesized that RA may be caused by (a) specific strain(s) of EBV.

AB - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease. Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) are crucial for the serological diagnosis of RA, where Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been suggested to be an environmental agent in triggering the onset of the disease. This study aimed to analyse antibody reactivity to citrullinated EBV nuclear antigen-2 (EBNA-2) peptides from three different EBV strains (B95-8, GD1 and AG876) using streptavidin capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. One peptide, only found in a single strain (AG876), obtained a sensitivity and specificity of 77% and 95%, respectively and showed high sequence similarity to the filaggrin peptide originally used for ACPA detection. Comparison of antibody reactivity to commercial assays found that the citrullinated peptide was as effective in detecting ACPA as highly sensitive and specific commercial assays. The data presented demonstrate that the citrullinated EBNA-2 peptide indeed is recognised specifically by RA sera and that the single peptide is able to compete with assays containing multiple peptides. Furthermore, it could be hypothesized that RA may be caused by (a) specific strain(s) of EBV.

U2 - 10.1038/s41598-018-22058-6

DO - 10.1038/s41598-018-22058-6

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29487382

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 8

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

M1 - 3684

ER -