title: Use of the HEp-2 cell substrate in the detection of antinuclear antibodies in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Presence and titer of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were determined in 217 juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) patients, by indirect immunofluorescence using HEp-2 cells as substrate. Positive ANA titers (greater than or equal to 1:40) were present in 131 (60%) of the JRA patients. All 3 JRA onset types demonstrated increased percentages of ANA positivity compared with healthy children. Sixty-seven percent of the patients in the polyarticular onset group had positive titers; titers were positive in 62% of the pauciarticular onset group and in 32% of the systemic onset group. ANA were also found in 45% of control patients with other connective tissue diseases. In JRA patients, the speckled pattern occurred most commonly (72%). Fourteen patients (8 with pauciarticular onset and 6 with polyarticular onset) had iridocyclitis; all of them had high titers (greater than or equal to 1:80) of ANA. The use of HEp-2 cells provided a sensitive substrate for detecting ANA in JRA. It proved to be of value in differentiating JRA patients from healthy controls, but not from patients with other connective tissue diseases.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis*; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007830:Larynx / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear