MEDICAL SCIENCES Retraction for “Evidence for a functional role of IgE anticitrullinated protein antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis,” by A. J. M. Schuerwegh, A. Ioan-Facsinay, A. L. Dorjée, J. Roos, I. M. Bajema, E. I. H. van der Voort, T. W. J. Huizinga, and R. E. M. Toes, which appeared in issue 6, February 9, 2010, of Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (107:2586–2591; first published January 25, 2010; 10.1073/pnas.0913054107).
The authors wish to note the following: “Recently, the Department of Rheumatology from the Leiden University Medical Centre discovered that this publication is based upon fraudulent data, as the first author manipulated several assays used in the studies presented in this publication. By adding anti-IgE antibodies into the tubes containing citrullinated fibrinogen, it seemed that the activation of basophils resulted from exposure to citrullinated fibrinogen. Likewise, controls and samples were manipulated through transfer of cells from positive controls to other tubes that now also appeared to contain a positive reaction. This behavior was done in the absence of all other investigators who did not have knowledge of these irregularities. After discovery of these events, several experiments were performed with the goal to reproduce the data indicating the presence of IgE anticitrullinated protein antibody (ACPA). The validity of these data as presented in the manuscript could not be confirmed. For these reasons, the authors wish to retract the paper from the scientific record.
The Leiden University Medical Centre has completed an investigation by an independent investigation committee into the violation of scientific integrity and irregularities in this paper and has concluded that sole responsibility for the irregularities rests with the first author. She has admitted manipulating the data presented in the paper.”
A. J. M. Schuerwegh
A. Ioan-Facsinay
A. L. Dorjée
J. Roos
I. M. Bajema
E. I. H. van der Voort
T. W. J. Huizinga
R. E. M. Toes