title: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis: atopy and autoimmunity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a rare chronic ocular inflammatory disease and it mainly affects boys in the first decade of life. Although it is a self-limiting disease, patients may present many phases characterized by an exacerbation of inflammatory symptoms with a consequent decline of the quality of life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  define the clinical and immunological profile of patients affected by VKC and investigate their familiar history of autoimmune disorders and their autoimmunity pattern.
  
  
  METHODS
  28 children were enrolled (20 males, 71%) aged between 4 and 14 years of life affected by VKC. Family history of allergic and immunological diseases was collected for each patient. In particular, it was asked whether some components of their families were affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, type I diabetes, psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). All VKC children underwent a serological evaluation of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A family history of immunological disorders was found in 46% of patients, 28% of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 14% of type I diabetes, 14% of psoriasis, and 1 of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Furthermore, 35% of patients was ANA positive and they corresponded to patients with a higher ocular score and with the most important clinical symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the detection of ANA positivity and of a familiar history of autoimmune disorders in a high percentage of children with VKC may help us to better understand the association of this ocular inflammatory disease with systemic autoimmune disorders and atopic condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zicari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nebbioso
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lollobrigida
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bardanzellu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Celani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Occasi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cesoni Marcelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duse
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D015551:Autoimmunity; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear