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Immunoregulation in juvenile chronic arthritis.
International Archives of Allergy and Applied Immunology
|January 1, 1984
Summary
Juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) patients show increased spontaneous IgG synthesis and reduced T-cell suppression of immunoglobulin production. This suggests immune dysregulation contributes to JCA pathogenesis, impacting B-cell activity and T-cell regulation in children.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatric Rheumatology
Background:
- Juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) is associated with hyperimmunoglobulinemia and antinuclear antibodies.
- Evidence suggests a role for immunoregulatory abnormalities, including autoantibodies against T-cell subsets, in JCA pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate immunoregulatory defects in JCA by measuring concanavalin A (Con A)-inducible lymphocyte suppression of IgG production.
- To compare immune responses in JCA patients, healthy children, and adult controls.
Main Methods:
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from JCA patients and controls were cultured with medium, pokeweed mitogen (PWM), Con A, or both.
- Immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in culture supernatants were quantified using radioimmunoassay.
Main Results:
- Children (JCA patients and controls) exhibited higher spontaneous IgG synthesis than adults.
- Con A-induced suppression of IgG synthesis was reduced in JCA patients and child controls compared to adults.
- Suppression of PWM-stimulated IgG synthesis was also impaired in JCA patients and child controls, with further reduction observed in JCA patients compared to child controls.
Conclusions:
- Children, particularly those with JCA, have increased spontaneous IgG synthesis and impaired T-cell mediated regulation of B-cell function.
- These findings support the hypothesis that immune dysregulation plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of JCA.