Is Anti Cyclic citrullinated peptide a useful laboratory test for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis?

AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate Anti Cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and Rheumatoid Factor (RF) sensitivity and specificity in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anti-CCP and RAtest for the assessment of RF have been tried out in 35 patients with RA and in a group of 42 patients whose hands were affected by arthralgic/arthritis-like symptoms. RESULTS: Sensitivity of anti-CCP was 71,4% with 95,2% of specificity. RAtest sensitivity was 91,4% with specificity of 31%. Anti-CCP and RAtest both positive showed an overall 71.4% sensitivity and 95.2% specificity; sensitivity was 91.4% and specificity was 31.0%, if at least RAtest or anti-CCP resulted positive, The positive predictive value of the two test performed together was 97.0%, higher than that of anti-CCP (71.4%) and RAtest (88.5%9) alone. The negative predictive value of the two test performed together was 30.9% similar to that of the RAtest performed alone (30.9%). All patients affected by HCV related chronic liver disease were negative for anti-CCP test; 12/14 of them had RAtest positive. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-CCP antibody has a diagnostic specificity higher than RF. Anti-CCP and RA tests together prove to have the some specificity as anti-CCP alone and a lower sensitivity. Sensitivity is better when at least either RAtest or anti-CCP results positive. The best positive predictive value is obtained performing both anti-CCP and RAtest. Anti-CCP is a useful laboratory marker to confirm the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis; it seems to be very important to differentiate patients with RA from those with HCV related arthritis.

A synthetic strategy leading to monodisperse PPV oligomers by coupling reactions of vinyltrimethylsilanes.

A novel strategy for the synthesis of well-defined oligo(phenylenevinylene)s was developed. The procedure is entirely based upon two coupling processes, both involving vinyltrimethylsilanes. Bis(styryl)benzenes 2a-g bearing two octyloxy groups in the central aromatic ring and various substituents on the external aromatic rings were prepared in good yield by a regio- and stereoselective coupling reaction of 1 with different arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates. Oligomers with a more extended conjugated system, 4a-c, and with m-phenylene subunits 13a,b, were also readily obtained by conversion of the unsaturated trimethylsilyl derivatives 3a,c,d to the corresponding boron derivatives and a subsequent coupling reaction with compounds 2a and 2c.