title: Elevated BAFF (BLyS) and APRIL in Juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients: relation to clinical manifestations and disease activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the level of B-cell activating factor belonging to the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) also known as B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) and A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) in the serum of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients and to detect their relation to the clinical manifestations and disease activity in the different subtypes of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-four consecutively recruited JIA patients were clinically examined, the Juvenile arthritis disease activity score in 27 joints (JADAS-27) calculated and Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) used to measure the functional status. Thirty-four healthy matched children served as controls. Routine laboratory examinations were recorded and serum BAFF and April were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The JIA patients were 20 systemic-onset, 31 oligoarticular and 23 polyarticular. Serum BAFF and APRIL were elevated in JIA patients being higher in systemic onset and both significantly correlated. APRIL significantly correlated with both JADAS-27 and CHAQ scores while BAFF correlated only with JADAS-27. The APRIL serum levels were significantly associated with the presence of RF and ANA. The BAFF serum levels were significantly higher in oligoarticular onset JIA patients with uveitis compared to those without.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest increased BAFF and APRIL serum levels in JIA patients denoting their possible role in the disease and calling for additional research to elucidate the intrinsic mechanisms explaining APRIL and BAFF over expression.
authors: Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Kasr EL-Aini hospitals, 12613 Cairo, Egypt.
authors: Tamer A
authors: TA
authors: Gheita
authors: Iman H
authors: IH
authors: Bassyouni
authors: Yasser
authors: Y
authors: Emad
authors: Abeer M Nour
authors: AM
authors: el-Din
authors: Enas
authors: E
authors: Abdel-Rasheed
authors: Hani
authors: H
authors: Hussein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D053300:Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D014605:Uveitis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; D053300:Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13