Abstract: This invention concerns the compounds of formula the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts and the stereochemically isomeric forms thereof, wherein R1 and R2 are each independently selected from hydrogen; hydroxy; amino; optionally substituted C1-6alkyl; C1-6alkyloxy; C1-6alkylcarbonyl; C1-6alkyloxycarbonyl; Ar1; mono- or di(C1-6alkyl)amino; mono- or di(C1-6alkyl)-aminocarbonyl; dihydro-2(3H)-furanone; or R1 and R2 taken together may form pyrrolidinyl, piperidinyl, morpholinyl, azido or mono- or di(C1-6alkyl)amino-C1-4alkylidene; R3 is hydrogen, Ar1, C1-6alkylcarbonyl, C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkyloxy-carbonyl, C1-6alkyl substituted with C1-6alkyloxycarbonyl; and R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 are each independently selected from hydrogen, halo, C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkyloxy, cyano, aminocarbonyl, nitro, amino, trihalomethyl or trihalomethyloxy; L is optionally substituted C1-10alkyl; C3-10alkenyl; C3-10alkynyl; C3-7cycloalkyl; Ar1 is optionally substituted phenyl; for the manufacture of a medicine for the treatment o

Abstract: The present invention relates to peptides that mimic the immunogenic determinants of self-proteins recognized by autoimmune antibodies in a biological sample from patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). More particularly, the present invention relates to citrulline-containing peptides, which react with the majority of the latter antibodies. Furthermore, the present invention relates to diagnostic tools for a more convenient and sensitive diagnosis of RA and to therapeutic methods to treat RA.