ANTIBODIES TO SYNTHETIC PEPTIDE P62 CORRESPONDING TO THE MAJOR EPITOPE OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS NUCLEAR ANTIGEN IN A WEST AFRICAN POPULATION WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS.

Using a synthetic peptide (P62) we have investigated antibodies to rheumatoid arthritis nuclear antigen (RANA) in 58 West African patients with RA, 51 with malaria, 111 with tuberculosis (TB) and 166 healthy controls by ELISA using a synthetic peptide (P62). As in Western populations the RA.sera showed significantly increased levels of anti-P62 antibodies though in our study the mean litres were only elevated twofold above the controls. The levels in malaria and TB were normal. Our data extend previous work by showing that raised anti-P62 antibodies is a consistent finding in RA world-wide including indigenous West African patients. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]