AUTOANTIBODIES IN GREEK JUVENILE CHRONIC ARTHRITIS PATIENTS

The aim of this study was to investigate sera of Greek patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) for the presence of autoantibodies and correlate these antibodies with the clinical picture and disease activity. Sera from 69 JCA patients and sera from 66 healthy children matched for sex and age, were tested for antinuclear antibodies (ANAs), antibodies to extractable cellular antigens (ENAs), rheumatoid factor (RF), immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM), antibodies to double stranded (ds) DNA and anticardiolipin (CL). Our results indicate that: (a) autoantibodies to dsDNA are a not uncommon finding in JCA sera; (b) these autoantibodies have a low affinity for the antigen since they are found in low titers only by ELISA, while the Farr assay and Crithidia lucilliae immunofluorescence assay (IF) are negative; and (c) active JCA patients express many autoantibodies.