To determine if antinuclear antibody seropositivity in girls with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is associated with elevated serum levels of the anterior pituitary hormone prolactin.
Nineteen premenarchal girls meeting ACR classification criteria for JRA were evaluated for disease activity, antinuclear antibodies (ANA) seropositivity, and serum concentrations of prolactin, estrogen, and thyroid stimulating hormone.
The mean serum prolactin concentration of ANA seropositive patients with JRA (10.9 +/- 1.9 micrograms/l) was significantly higher than that for ANA negative patients (5.7 +/- 1.0 micrograms/l; p = 0.043) and an age matched control group (5.8 +/- 1.3 micrograms/l; p = 0.048).
Children with ANA seropositive JRA have elevated serum levels of the immunostimulatory hormone prolactin.