COMPARISON OF SERUM LEVELS OF ANTI-CYCLIC CITRULLINATED PEPTIDE ANTIBODY (ANTI-CCP) AND RHEUMATOID FACTOR LEVEL IN BRUCELLOSIS PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT OSTEOARTICULAR SYMPTOMS

Anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor are among the markers that can be positive in brucellosis patients and even have different levels in the patients with and without osteoarticular symptoms. This study was designed and implemented with the aim of comparison of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody and rheumatoid factor levels in brucellosis patients with and without osteoarticular symptoms.

In this analytical-descriptive study, 106 brucellosis patients were examined. Anti-CCP antibody and RF levels were measured in patients with and without osteoarticular problems using ELISA method. The results were analyzed using SPSS version 16 software. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Among 106 patients, 68 (64.2%) were male and 38 (35.8%) were female. The mean age of the participants in the study was 33.5 years, with the age range of 20 to 55 years. 69 people (65.1%) had bone-joint symptoms, of which 72.5% had arthralgia and 19 (27.5%) had arthritis. About 60% of the patients with osteoarticular symptoms had spondylitis and the least involvement was observed in shoulder. Mean anti-CCP level in the patients with and without osteoarticular symptoms was 7.9 ± 4.9 and 5.4 ± 2.93 U/ml, respectively (P = 0.02). Although the mean rheumatoid factor and ESR levels in the patients with osteoarticular symptoms was higher than those without these problems, but the difference was not significant.

According to the results of the present study, the level of anti-CCP in brucellosis patients with involvement of the skeletal-motor system is higher than the patients without involvement of this system, which may be misdiagnosed with rheumatological diseases.