RESUMO
To determine if anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies [Anti-CCP] can be detected in sera of with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis [JRA] patients and to study its clinical significance. Serum anti-CCP antibodies were measured with ELISA technique in 20 JRA patients. Thirty adult RA patients and 20 apparently healthy children were also included in the study. Correlations between anti-CCP, disease characteristics, medication and radiological damage were also determined in JRA patients. Anti-CCP was positive in 10% [2/20] of JRA patients and in about 67% [20/30] of adult RA patients while it was not detected in healthy children. The two JRA patients were girls with seropositive [IgM-RF] polyarticular subtype. There was a statistically significant difference in radiological damage and rheumatoid factor seropositivity between anti-CCP positive and negative JRA patients. On the other hand, disease duration, antinuclear antibody positivity and medication did not differ statistically between the previous two groups. Anti-CCP antibodies can be detected in the sera of JRA patients but less frequently present than adults with RA. Anti-CCP antibodies are exclusively present in the subset of seropositive polyarticular JRA