Anticentromere antibodies as a marker of raynaud’s phenomenon in pediatric rheumatologic diseases

الملخص EN

To examine the possible relationship between anticentromere antibodies (ACA) and pediatric rheumatologic diseases, we investigated its presence with enzymatic immuno-assay in the sera of forty-five children and adolescents with such diseases in comparison to a group of forty-two age and sex matched healthy subjects.

ACA were positively detected (10 U/ml) in three out of 5 (60%) systemic sclerosis patients (SSc), in 7 out of 16 (43.8%) systemic lupus erythematosus patients (SLE), in two out of 5 (40%) mixed connective tissue disease patients (MCTD), in one out of 4 (25%) dermatomyositis patients (DMS) and in two out of 14 (14.3%) juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patients (JRA).

It was also detected in a single patient with anti-phospholipid syndrome (APL) who had digital gangrene and hemiparesis and did not fulfill the diagnostic criteria of the studied rheumatologic diseases as well as in two of the healthy subjects.

ACA positivity was related to the presence of Raynaud’s phenomenon in the studied sample, as 86% of patients suffering from this phenomenon were ACA positive.

ACA positivity was associated with higher age, blood pressure and ESR values and lower hemoglobin and weight and height percentile values.

It was also higher among anti-nuclear antibody positive subjects.

Raynaud’s phenomenon and ACA positivity shared almost the same clinical and laboratory associations in the studied patients.

Thus, ACA are probably among the markers of Raynaud’s phenomenon in pediatric rheumatological diseases.

Their value as predictors of future development of the phenomenon needs further evaluation.