Bronchiectasis Is a Model for Chronic Bacterial Infection Inducing Autoimmunity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

摘要: Objective To examine the potential of chronic severe bacterial infection to generate rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs), by studying patients with bronchiectasis (BR) alone BR arthritis (BR/RA). Methods We studied 122 alone, 50 BR/RA, RA without lung disease, as well 87 asthma 79 healthy subjects controls. RF levels were measured using an automated analyzer, cyclic citrullinated peptide 2 (CCP-2) was used detect ACPAs. The fine specificities α-enolase 1 (CEP-1), Cit-vimentin, Cit-fibrinogen their arginine-containing control peptides (arginine-containing [REP-1], vimentin, fibrinogen) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Among subjects, 39% 42%, respectively, ever-smokers. frequency positivity in serum increased compared controls (25% versus 10%), frequencies CCP-2 (5% 0%), CEP-1 (7% 4%), Cit-vimentin (12% although only differences for significant (P Conclusion Bronchiectasis is unusual but potent model induction autoimmunity lung. Our study suggests that ACPA response not citrulline specific during early stages tolerance breakdown becomes more whom BR/RA develops.