Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis is the most common rheumatologic disease of childhood period. The aim of study was to compare ANA positive and ANA negative cases.
This observation study was performed as correlation research. All cases with diagnosis ofJRA who visited Mofid Children's Hospital and Imam Hossein Hospital were included in this study. Duration of this study was from 2006, 1 October till 2008, 31 October. All patients were examined carefully by an experienced pediatric rheumatologist. Age, sex, disease onset, age at diagnosis, RF, ANA, HLA-B27, ESR, type of disease, disease activity, and duration of inactivity were included in this study. ANA titer was measured by immunoflurocence technique. Patients were categorized according to sex, ANA, and type of disease and then group was compared with each other. Data was analyzed by SPSS Ver. 16 (Chicago, IL, USA). This study was approved by Ethical Committee of university.
In this study, 61 cases were enrolled. Twenty five cases (41%) were males and 36 cases were females. Mean of age at disease onset was 6.1 +/- 3.1 (Range 6 months to 12.5 years). Mean of age at disease diagnosis was 6.7 +/- 3.2. Mean of age at time of study was 7.6 +/- 3.5 (1.4 to 14 years). From all cases, 38 cases were oligoarticular, 18 cases were polyarticular and 5 cases were systemic onset. From 61 cases, 22 (36.1%) cases, had ANA positive JRA. Of these cases, 14 cases were oligoarticular and 8 cases were polyarticular.
Except for sex and morning stiffness, there is significant correlation between type of disease and ANA,RF,HLA-B27, response to treatment, early onset erosion, subcutaneous nodule, and uveitis (P < 0.05). There is significant correlation between sex and ANA, RF, HLA-B27, early erosion, response to treatment, subcutaneous treatment, and uveitis (P < 0.05). There is significant correlation between ANA seropositivity and HLA-B27, early erosion, response to treatment, uveitis and subcutaneous nodule. Our results showed that there is significant correlation among ANA and other factors except morning stiffness. Another prospective study is recommended.