Abstract: AIM: To detect the level of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides(anti-CCP) antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) patients with arthritis,and explore the relationship of anti-CCP antibodies with erosive arthritis in SLE patients.METHODS: The levels of anti-CCP antibodies in 141 case patients with SLE were detected by ELISA.The dependablity between anti-CCP antibodies and clinical features as well as laboratory parameters in these SLE patients were analyzed.RESULTS: The positive rate of anti-CCP in SLE patients was 20.6%(29/141). The positive rate of anti-CCP in SLE patients with arthritis was 26.7%(20/75),which in SLE patients without arthritis was 13.6%(9/66),there was no significant difference(P=0.056). But the level of in anti-CCP in SLE patients with arthritis(16 RU/mL) was higher than that in SLE patients without arthritis(12 RU/mL,P=0.004) .In anti-CCP antibodies positive SLE patients,the level in arthritis patients (304.5 RU/mL)was higher than that in without arthritis patients(30.0 RU/mL) (P=0.001).There were 6 SLE patients with erosive arthritis in all subjects and high level anti-CCP antibodies(459 RU/mL) were detected in 5 patients.CONCLUSION: Anti-CCP antibodies can be found in 20.6% of patients with SLE, the patients who had high level of anti-CCP antibodies might initiate erosive arthritis. Anti-CCP antibodies is important to identify SLE patients with arthritis.

Key words: Lupus erythematosus, Systemic, Arthritis, Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides antibodies