[Clinical variants and immunologic features of rheumatoid uveitis in children of different age]

Variability of clinical manifestations of rheumatoid uveitis, possibility of an atypical course (peripheral or panuveitis), and greater severity and specific features of the disease in case of its early (before the age of 3 years) manifestation are demonstrated on the basis of observations of 79 patients with rheumatoid uveitis. Despite systemic therapy with corticosteroids and cytostatics, no manifest post-steroid immunodeficiency was observed. Moderately expressed gammapathies were detected in 60% cases; hypoimmune states predominated, which were more often detected in children aged under 6 years. No cases of pronounced suppression of functional activity of lymphocytes were observed. Humoral and cellular response to persistent ophthalmotropic infections were observed more rarely than in children with uveitis of other etiology. Positive rheumatoid factor was detected in 9% cases, antinuclear antibodies in 60%. Antibodies to DNA were detected in the sera of 10% examinees, to native and denatured DNA in the lacrimal fluid of 21.2 and 16.7%, respectively. The causes of absence of obvious post-steroid immunodeficiency and relatively low rate of interorgan autosensitization in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and uveitis are discussed. Further investigation of clinical and immunological correlations are needed for improving the prediction of the course of rheumatoid uveitis and development of treatment strategy.