Development of a multiplex assay based on chimeric citrullinated peptides as proof of concept for diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

PLoS One. 2019 May 2;14(5):e0215927. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215927. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Anti-citrullinated peptide/protein antibodies (ACPAs) are the most specific serological biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They have both diagnostic and prognostic value, and are related to more aggressive joint disease in RA. However, a single biomarker cannot differentiate RA subtypes. So, simultaneous analysis of target citrullinated peptides, using a multiplex array based on chimeric peptides composed of several domains of human proteins, could be useful. In this work, eight chimeric peptides and the corresponding native arginine-containing control peptides were obtained by solid-phase peptide synthesis. The study included RA and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients attending the Rheumatology Unit of the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, as well as healthy blood donors (BD) at the same hospital. Our main aim was to explore the diagnostic value of the novel multiplex array compared to a commercial ELISA-based ACPA assay in a serum-saving way. Using the combination of the eight chimeric peptide antigens in the multiplex array, 61.4% of the RA cohort were positive for 3 or more peptides; while, the healthy BD and PsA cohorts did not show any reactivity with the tested peptides. These results indicate that we have developed a highly specific multiplex assay based of chimeric citrullinated peptides derived from filaggrin, fibrin, vimentin and human enolase proteins for the detection of ACPAs in a serum-saving way.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibodies / blood
  • Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibodies / immunology
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / blood
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / diagnosis*
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / immunology
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay*
  • Filaggrin Proteins
  • Humans
  • Peptides, Cyclic / chemistry*
  • Peptides, Cyclic / immunology
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / immunology

Substances

  • Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibodies
  • FLG protein, human
  • Filaggrin Proteins
  • Peptides, Cyclic
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • cyclic citrullinated peptide

Grants and funding

IH, MJG and MJB received financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO) and the European Regional Development Fund (Grant CTQ2015-63919-R). MJG, MJB, RS and IH are members of the consolidated PEP-REU research group of the Generalitat de Catalunya (expedient: 2017 SGR 254). MJG, RS and IH belong to the Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS): “Red de Investigación en Inflamación y Enfermedades Reumáticas” (RIER) financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Grant RD12/0009/0016).