Clinical and immunological characteristics of rheumatic diseases in children

Results 20 patients with JIA had an articular form, 11 children had an systemic form. 2 patients had diffuse form of systemic sclerosis (SS). 6 patients had a limited form of SS. 8 children had scleroderma. 8 children with JS, 13 children with JIA and all children with SLE had fever, weakness, weight loss at the onset of the disease. 3 children with JS, 12 children with JIA and 5 with SLE had lymphadenopathy. The most of children had in the blood serum IgG antibodies to herpes simplex virus (12 with JIA, 10 with JS, 6 with SLE), Epstein-Barr virus (8 with JIA, 3 with JS, 2 with SLE) and cytomegalovirus (6 with JIA, 3 with JS), IgG to Borrelia burgdorferii (17 with JIA, 9 with JS), to Chlamidia psittacii (10 with JIA). It can be assumed that these organisms can act as triggers for the development of this pathology. The same changes, characterized by a primary decrease CD8+-cells against a background of normal or elevated content of CD4+-cells been established in children with RD. Individual values of TNF-a in serum were elevated in 8 (88.9%) patients with JS, in 5 (62.5%) children with SLE and in 11 (84.6%) children with JIA. The positive relationship of TNF-a content with the content of CRP (r=0.64; P<0.01). The content of TNF-a was significantly higher in patients with high values of rheumatoid factor (RF) than in children with normal levels of RF (P <0.05). According to the results of the research content of IFN-g in the serum of all patients with RD level of IFN-g was significantly reduced compared with healthy children (P <0.05).