title: U1-70-kd autoantibody-positive mixed connective tissue disease in children. A longitudinal clinical and serologic analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To obtain longitudinal data on the clinical, serologic, and immunogenetic features of children with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven children with MCTD were followed up for a mean of 9.8 years. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting were used to analyze sera for autoantibodies to small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptides. HLA types were determined in 9 patients, by microcytotoxicity and DNA typing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 11 children had anti-U1-70-kd auto-antibodies. Six of 9 were positive for HLA-DR2, 4 of 9 for HLA-DR4, and 9 of 9 for either HLA-DR2 or DR4. Outcomes were favorable with no functional impairment in 8 of the 11 children and were poor in 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of HLA-DR2/DR4 is increased among children with anti-U1-70-kd autoantibody positive MCTD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Cassidy
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Smith-Jones
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Sharp
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D008947:Mixed Connective Tissue Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D017412:Ribonucleoprotein, U1 Small Nuclear / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D017412:Ribonucleoprotein, U1 Small Nuclear