Association between disease activity and anti-CCP status in early rheumatoid arthritis: a cross-sectional study

Introduction. Rheumatoid arthritis is a prevalent, disabling disease in which early diagnosis is crucial. The onset of the disease is generally associated with multiple risk factors; however, its etiology remains not fully understood. Currently, increased patient awareness and broad access to laboratory diagnostics for this condition enable timely detection and subsequent administration of appropriate treatment in accordance with clinical guidelines.

Aim. To evaluate patterns of rheumatoid arthritis manifestation based on clinical presentation in patients at an early stage of the disease, and to determine the  association between risk factors, the status of antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide, disease activity (Disease Activity Score 28).

Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 48 patients with early-stage rheumatoid arthritis between 2025 and 2026 to identify patterns in the manifestation of the disease.  Patients were surveyed, including identification of affected joint groups and associated risk factors. Disease activity was assessed using the DAS28, and patients were divided into groups with low, moderate, and high. Spearman’s correlation was used to determine the relationship between anti-CCP status and DAS28 scores.

Results and discussion. Disease activity was low in 10.42% of cases, moderate in 68.75%, and high in 20.83%. Patients with a positive anti-citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody test had lower DAS28 scores compared to those with a negative anti-CCP antibody test. Spearman’s correlation analysis demonstrated a statistically significant weak negative correlation between anti-CCP status and DAS28 scores (rs = –0.28; p = 0.048).

Conclusion. Thus, in this study of 48 patients, most individuals with early-stage rheumatoid arthritis exhibited moderate disease activity, which was associated with a high prevalence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody positivity. Laboratory testing for the presence of antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides in patients with manifestation of articular syndrome may have potential clinical value in the  preclinical stages of rheumatoid arthritis.

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