RESUMO
The aim of the study is to investigate the incidence and clinical significance of Anti-CCP antibodies in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis [JIA] patients assessing its utility as a serological marker and its relationship with disease subtype and erosive form of the disease. This study comprised twenty-five [17 girls, 8 boys] patients with JIA attending the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department in Kasr El-Aini hospitals as well as New children Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University. Ten healthy volunteers served as controls. RF positivity was observed only in 9 children with JIA and 7 patients had persistent erosive lesions in their joints. Anti-CCP antibody levels were determined by ELISA and values above 5 relative units [RU] were regarded as positive. Anti-CCP antibodies were found in 10/25 [40%] patients including 8/9 RF positive polyarthritis [88.9% of this subset], 1/2 RF negative polyarthritis, 1/8 pauciarticular arthritis and 0/6 systemic arthritis [p value