Anti-centromere antibodies as a marker of Raynaud's phenomenon in pediatric rheumatologic diseases

To examine the possible relationship between anti-centromere antibodies (AC A) and pediatric rheumatologic diseases, we investigated the presence of AC A (using enzyme immunoassay) in the sera of 45 children and adolescents wit h such diseases and compared the results with a group of 42 age- and gender -matched healthy subjects. ACA were present (greater than or equal to 10 U/ ml) in three out of five patients (60%) with scleroderma (SCD), in seven ou t of 16 (43.8%) patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), in two ou t of five patients (40%) with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), in on e out of four patients (25%) with dermatomyositis (DMS), and in two out of 14 patients (14.3%) with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). ACA were also detected in a single patient with anti-phospholipid syndrome (APL) who had digital gangrene and hemiparesis, as well as in two healthy subjects. ACA positivity was related to the presence of Raynaud's phenomenon in the studi ed sample, as 86% of patients suffering from the phenomenon were ACA positi ve. ACA positivity was associated with older age, high blood pressure and h igh erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values, and Lower hemoglobin and w eight and height percentile values. It was also higher among anti-nuclear a ntibody-positive subjects. Raynaud's phenomenon and ACA positivity shared a lmost the same clinical and laboratory associations in the studied patients . Thus, ACA are probably among the markers of Raynaud's phenomenon in pedia tric rheumatologic diseases. Their value as predictors of future developmen t of the phenomenon needs further evaluation.