A STUDY OF ANTINEUTROPHIL CYTOPLASMIC ANTIBODIES (ANCA) IN PATIENTS WITH JUVENILE CHRONIC ARTHRITIS

Recently, antibodies against cytoplasmic antigens of neutrophils (ANCA ) were found in sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but thei r incidence and specificity in juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) are st ill a subject of discussion. We examined ANCA in 36 children with JCA (28 girls and eight boys) and 25 control subjects. The serum samples w ere analysed by an indirect immunofluorescence technique on ethanol-fi xed human neutrophil cells. ANCA were positive in eight of the childre n (22.2%) with a pattern of p-ANCA and their titres varied from 1:20 t o 1:80. No ANCA were found in the control group of children. We noted an association between the clinical and immunological activity of JCA. ANCA were observed more frequently (in 87.5%) in children with oligoa rthitis. Half of ANCA-positive children showed clinical signs of chron ic uveitis.