title: Serum calreticulin as a novel biomarker of juvenile idiopathic arthritis disease activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the relations between calreticulin (CRT) serum level and both disease activity and severity parameters in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 60 children with JIA and 50 age-and-sex-matched healthy subjects were enrolled. The assessment of the disease activity was done using juvenile arthritis disease activity score 27 (JADAS-27). The assessment of disease severity was done via gray-scale ultrasonography (US) and power Doppler US (PDUS). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assay the serum level of human CRT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum CRT levels in JIA patients was 8.6±1.2 ng/mL and showed a highly significant increase (p=0.001) as compared to the mean serum levels in the controls (5.02±0.77 ng/mL). There were statistically significant positive correlations between the serum CRT levels and disease duration, tender joint count, swollen joint count, visual analog scale, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, JADAS-27, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor titer, and ultrasonographic grading for synovitis and neovascularization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated serum CRT levels in JIA patients and its correlations with JIA disease activity and severity parameters signified that CRT might be used as a novel biomarker for disease activity and severity in JIA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Benha University School of Medicine, Benha, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nashwa Ismail
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Hashaad
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Benha University School of Medicine, Benha, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rasha Mohamed
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Fawzy
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Benha University School of Medicine, Benha, Egypt.
authors.forename: Abeer Ahmed Abo
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Elazem
authors.affiliation: Deaprtment of Diagnostic Radiology, Benha University School of Medicine, Benha, 9Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed Ibrahim
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Youssef
keywords: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis; activity score; calreticulin; synovitis