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Evaluation of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in southeastern Turkey: a single center experience
Insights
This study found polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) to be the most common type in southeast Turkey. Fewer patients presented with positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) or uveitis than previously reported.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rheumatology
- Immunology
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease affecting children.
- Understanding regional disease characteristics is crucial for effective management.
- Southeast Turkey represents a distinct demographic for JIA research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of JIA in children from southeast Turkey.
- To identify the predominant JIA subtypes and affected joints in this population.
- To compare findings with previous international JIA studies.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of hospital records from Dicle University Hospital's Pediatric Rheumatology Unit.
- Diagnosis of JIA based on the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) criteria.
- Collection of demographic, clinical, and laboratory data from 213 pediatric patients.
Main Results:
- Polyarticular JIA (42.3%) was the most frequent subtype, followed by oligoarticular (37.1%) and enthesitis-related arthritis (10.8%).
- Knees (74.2%) and ankles (54.0%) were the most commonly affected joints.
- Prevalence of uveitis (4.2%), positive anti-nuclear antibodies (11.7%), and HLA-B27 (2.8%) were noted, with lower rates of ANA and uveitis compared to prior research.
Conclusions:
- Polyarticular JIA is the predominant subtype in this southeast Turkish cohort.
- The observed lower frequencies of positive ANA and uveitis warrant further investigation in regional JIA studies.
- These findings contribute to the understanding of JIA heterogeneity across different geographical areas.
Background:
The aim of this study was to investigate the disease characteristics of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in southeast Turkey.
Methods:
The International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) criteria were used to diagnose JIA. Hospital records of the Pediatric Rheumatology Unit, of the Dicle University Hospital, were reviewed retrospectively and demographic, clinical and laboratory data were recorded.
Results:
Totally 213 children (103 boys, 110 girls), with an age range of 1.6-18 years were enrolled. The mean age of the disease onset was 8.1 years. Polyarticular type was the most common (42.3%) presentation. The frequencies of other JIA subtypes were as follows: oligoarticular 37.1%, systemic 8.9%, enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) 10.8% and psoriatic arthritis 0.9%. The knees (74.2%) and ankles (54.0%) were the most commonly affected joints. Uveitis was found in 4.2% of patients. Anti-nuclear antibodies were positive in 11.7% and HLA-B27 in 2.8% of patients. Active disease was seen in 57 (26.7%) patients at the last visit.
Conclusion:
In the present study, polyarticular JIA was the predominant subtype and there were fewer patients with positive ANA or uveitis compared to previous studies. Hippokratia 2015, 19 (1): 63-68.
