Assessment of anti-malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde antibody frequencies in rheumatoid arthritis with new data from two independent cohorts, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

Anti-MAA antibody sensitivity is extremely variable between RA patient collections. A substantial fraction of this variability cannot be attributed to ELISA protocols. On the contrary, heterogeneity is determined by complex factors that include African ethnicity, smoking, and sex.