FRECUENCIA DE ANTICUERPOS ANTI PÉPTIDOS CITRULINADOS POSITIVOS EN PACIENTES DEL HOSPITAL VICENTE CORRAL MOSCOSO, PERIODO 2023

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the joints and can lead to disability. Anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) are key serological markers in the early diagnosis and prognosis of RA. In Ecuador, studies on the prevalence of these antibodies are limited, making it difficult to adequately characterize the disease in the population. The objective of the study was to determine the frequency of anti-CCP-positive antibodies in patients treated at the Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital during 2023. An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in patients treated at the Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital during 2023. The study population consisted of patients who underwent anti-citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody testing. Simple random sampling was used to ensure the representativeness of the results. This information was obtained from the clinical laboratory area of the Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital, which provided an anonymized database from the computer system. The frequency of positive anti-CCP antibodies in patients at Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital in 2023 was 16.3% (IC: 95%), with a predominance in women, older adults, and the rural population, especially those with a primary education level. All positive cases had a disease duration of more than six months, evidencing detection in established phases of the disease and highlighting the importance of clinical laboratories as a key diagnosis support tool in rheumatoid arthritis.