[Immunologic anomalies in inflammatory diseases of connective tissue in children]

A comparison was made between the results of an analysis of humoral immunological changes in 64 cases of inflammatory diseases of the connective tissue of children (32 cases of ACJ, 5 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus, 2 cases of polymyositis, and 25 cases of systemic vasculitis), and data reported in recent literature, the authors conclude as follows:--changes of the immunological parameters that were tested support the hypothesis of a humoral immunopathogenic mechanism in systemic lupus erythematosus, in some of the manifestations of ACJ, and in systemic vasculitis;--of particular value for the immunological diagnosis of ACJ is the detection of FR in the patients' serum (and especially of FR from the IgG and the IgA class), as well as changes of immunological parameters of the articular fluid (the presence of FR, of immune complexes, a reduction of the titer intra-articular complement, the presence of ragocytes);--demonstration of humoral immunological changes (polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia, the presence in the serum of circulating immune complexes, and of cryoglobulins, the low titer of serum complement in active stages, the presence of antinuclear antibodies, and especially of antinative DNA, the presence of LE cells in peripheral blood, and of a varied range of autoantibodies) is mandatory for the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus;--in the present stage of our knowledge humoral immunologic changes are not an absolutely certified criterion for the diagnosis of polymyositis, and of some cases of systemic vasculitis (Henoch-Schoenlein purpura).