Abstract
Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is considered to be the commonest rheumatic disease in children, IL-23 has a major role in promoting inflammation in target organs.
Aim of work: Assessment of serum interleukin-23 level in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and its correlation to the disease activity.
Patients and methods: Fifty JIA patients fulfilling the ILAR classification criteria were included in a case-control study and classified into three groups: Polyarticular Rheumatoid factor positive JIA (n = 15), Polyarticular Rheumatoid factor Negative JIA (n = 17), Oligoarticular JIA (n = 18), and eighteen healthy children as a control group. The juvenile arthritis disease activity score (JADAS 71), CHAQ (Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire), serum IL 23 level, ESR, CRP, ANA and RF were measured for all cases.
Results: Mean age for Polyarticular Rheumatoid factor positive JIA (10.47±4.12), Polyarticular Rheumatoid factor negative JIA (9.19±3.33), Oligoarticular JIA(9.61±3.5) and for healthy children (8.67±3.47). Highest serum IL-23 levels were in Polyarticular Rheumatoid factor negative (median 34.31 ng/ml) followed Polyarticular Rheumatoid factor positive JIA and Oligoarticular JIA (median 22.03 ng/ml) and (median 11.87 ng/ml) respectively. The least values were found in the sera of normal children (median 2.75ng/ml). A significant positive correlation between IL-23 levels and JADAS 71 & CHAQ score most pronounced in the Polyarticular Rheumatoid positive JIA patients.
Conclusion: JIA patients had significantly more serum IL-23 than healthy individuals, and positively correlated with disease activity indices.
Keywords: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis;Activity;IL-23; JADAS-7; CHAQ.