JUVENILE CHRONIC ARTHRITIS WITH EYE LESION

Abstract

A bstract. Objective, to describe a series of pts with JRA/JCA and uveitis. Material and methods. The study included 81 pts with JRA and uveitis. There were 68 girls-84%, 13 boys-16%. We studied the clinical manifestations, the antinuclear antibodies (ANA) using HEP-2 cells for the 33 pts with uveitis and 46 pts without uveitis, HLA status was determined for 36 pts. Results. 85,2% of the children had arthritis before uveitis. The mean age at onset of arthritis was 3,5 year (range: 1-10 yrs), the mean age at onset of uveitis was 6 year (range: 2-15 yrs). The mean interval between the onset of arthritis and uveitis was 3,02 years (range: 3,5 yrs before arthritis onset to 12,5 yrs after). In 68,1% pts the diagnosis of uveitis was made within 5 yrs after onset of arthritis. 93% of pts had mono-oligoarticular onset, but 50% had poliarticular course. 23,5% of pts had functional disability 3-4 classes. Ocular complications were developed in 53.1%: cataracts-38,3%, band keratopathy-11,1%, glaucoma-2,5%. 93,9% of 33 studied children with arthritis and uveitis were ANA positive, 9,1% were RF positive. 18,1 % had HLA-DR8 (p<0,001), 83,3% - HLA-A2 (p<0,00l), HLA-B27 - 30,6 % (p<0,00l). Conclusion. Clinical and laboratory data of our pts suggest that: l)the combination of arthritis and uveitis would be named JCA with uveitis; 2) according our opinion JCA with uveitis is separate nosological form among the juvenile arthritides.