Anti-CCP Antibody Test in Delhi

The Anti-CCP test (Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide antibody test) measures IgG and IgA antibodies directed against cyclic citrullinated peptide antigens in the blood. It is the most specific routine blood marker for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) — with a specificity exceeding 95% — and is often the single most useful test in confirming an RA diagnosis.

Citrullinated proteins are produced when arginine residues in normal body proteins are converted to citrulline by an enzyme called peptidyl arginine deiminase (PAD). In RA patients, the immune system produces antibodies against these citrullinated proteins. Anti-CCP antibodies can appear in the blood up to several years before the clinical signs of RA — swollen joints, morning stiffness, symmetrical small joint involvement — become apparent. This makes the test valuable for very early RA detection, before significant joint damage has occurred.

Normal result: Anti-CCP antibody levels below 20 U/mL are generally considered negative. However, each laboratory reports its own reference range — always interpret the result in relation to the cut-off value printed on the report, as methods vary between labs.

High specificity for RA: Rheumatoid Factor (RF) is also elevated in RA but can be positive in many other conditions — Sjögren's syndrome, lupus, chronic infections, and even some healthy elderly individuals. Anti-CCP is far more specific: a positive result in a patient with joint symptoms is a strong pointer towards RA, even when RF is negative. Conversely, a small proportion of RA patients are seronegative for Anti-CCP, so a negative result does not completely rule out RA.

When it is ordered: Anti-CCP is ordered when a patient presents with symmetrical joint pain, morning stiffness, or swelling primarily affecting the small joints of the hands and feet — the classic early features of RA. It is also ordered to differentiate RA from other inflammatory arthropathies such as psoriatic arthritis, lupus arthritis, reactive arthritis, and osteoarthritis.

The standard early RA workup typically pairs Anti-CCP with Rheumatoid Factor (RF), ESR, and CRP or hsCRP. In some protocols, CBC and LFT are added to assess baseline health before treatment decisions are made.

Delhi's large and diverse patient population — with high rheumatology outpatient volumes across South Delhi, Dwarka, Rohini, East Delhi and the central districts — makes the Anti-CCP one of the most frequently ordered rheumatoid markers in NCR. Book from ₹1500 and compare NABL-accredited labs on HealthVas.