Anti-CCP is an autoantibody present in most rheumatoid arthritis patients. This means that the patient’s immune system produces antibodies that identify the patient’s cells as foreign material and as a result, attack its own normal cells. These attacks can produce inflammatory symptoms most commonly experienced in rheumatoid arthritis.Testing for the presence of anti-CCP is a relatively new support tool in helping doctors diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. Prior to the discovery and testing of anti-CCP, most doctors used rheumatoid factor (RF) – another antibody – as a test to help reach a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis.
An anti-CCP assay is capable to detect the autoantibodies against citrullinated proteins which have a relatively high sensitivity (reportedly between 50-75%) and extremely high specificity (about 90%) for Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Its high specificity is why the anti-CCP test has become an important part of the diagnostic process for RA.
