AUTOANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH JUVENILE CHRONIC ARTHRITIS AND THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY RELATIVES

Antibodies to nuclear antigens were assessed in 23 children with juvenile chronic arthritis UCA) and 66 of their first degree relatives. Serum samples from 16 patients with JCA (70%) and nine relatives (14%) had antinuclear antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence. Antibodies against nuclear antigens in rabbit thymus extract or an erythroblastoid ceil line (K562) were detected by countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis and immunoblotting in 16 patients (70%/o) and 39 family relatives (59%). Immunoblotting did not show any banding patterns common to ail patients with JCA, though bands in the 4345 kD range were detected in 5/23 patients. Anticardiolipin antibodies were found in 7/23 patients. In total, 18/20 families (90%) had members other than the probands with detectable autoantibodies. In five families imunoblotting showed common banding patterns between the probands and other members. This suggests that there might be an inherited trend towards autoimmune responses in some families of patients with JCA.