Diagnostic accuracy of anti-MCV and anti-CCP antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis A meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. We searched the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library databases and performed two meta-analyses on the diagnostic accuracy of anti-MCV and anti-CCP in patients with RA compared to healthy controls. Results. We identified 12 studies that included a total of 2003 RA patients and 831 healthy controls for the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of anti-MCV were 68.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 66.6-79.7] and 94.2% (95% CI 92.4-96.7) and those of anti-CCP were 61.7% (95% CI 59.5-63.8) and 97.1% (95% CI 96.7-98.1), respectively. Anti-MCV PLR, NLR, and DOR were 12.99 (95% CI 8.013-21.27), 0.297 (95% CI 0.238-0.369), and 47.78 (95% CI 28.59-79.84), and those for anti-CCP were 16.71 (95% CI 11.42-24.47), 0.378 (95% CI 0.325-0.439), and 54.20 (95% CI 31.65-92.82), respectively. The AUC of anti-MCV was 0.886, and its Q* index was 0.817, indicating modest accuracy, while the AUC of anti-CCP was 0.946, and its Q* index was 0.885. The sensitivity of anti-MCV was significantly higher than that of anti-CCP in the diagnosis of RA (difference 0.069, 95% CI 0.039-0.098, p˂0.0001), but the specificity of anti-MCV was lower than that of anti-CCP (difference -0.029, 95% CI -0.051 to -0.006, p=0.012). The Q* index of anti-MCV was significantly lower than that of anti-CCP (difference -0.068, 95% CI -0.070 to -0.065, p˂0.0001). Conclusion. Our meta-analysis demonstrates that anti-MCV is more sensitive but less specific, and has lower diagnostic accuracy than anti-CCP in RA, although anti-MCV and anti-CCP showed comparable high PLRs.