Immune abnormalities in the pathogenesis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is the most common rheumatic disease of childhood. Although the etiology remains unknown, immunoregulatory imbalances are thought to be important in the pathogenesis of JRA. Numerous immunologic abnormalities have been described in these patients, but it remains unclear which are fundamental to the pathogenesis of the disease and which are secondary. In this article, the authors review lymphocyte and lymphokine abnormalities in children with JRA with emphasis on the possible role of these immune abnormalities in the pathogenesis of JRA.