title: Autoantibodies to IL-1 alpha in sera from umbilical cords, children, and adults, and from patients with juvenile chronic arthritis.
abstract: Antibodies against interleukin-1 alpha (aAb-IL-1 alpha) have previously been demonstrated in sera of healthy adults and in patients with inflammatory diseases. In the present investigation the occurrence of aAb-IL-1 alpha was examined by second antibody precipitation technique in sera from umbilical cords (n = 11), children (n = 45), and adults (n = 20), as well as in 51 patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) of pauciarticular (n = 34), polyarticular (n = 8), or systemic onset type (n = 9). RESULTS. The frequency of positive sera was significantly lower in children than in cord blood and adults as were the levels of aAb-IL-1 alpha (p < 0.0001). In the non-neonatal group of individuals the levels of aAb-IL-1 alpha correlated positively with age (r = 0.394, p = 0.0015). The frequency of sera positive for aAb-IL-1 alpha was higher in the JCA patients, as were the levels (p < 0.005), and correlated positively with disease activity as evaluated by joint score and visual analogue score.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zak
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Nully
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bendtzen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007375:Interleukin-1