STUDY OF ANTIBODIES TO HISTONES AND HISTONE SYNTHETIC PEPTIDES IN PAUCIARTICULAR JUVENILE CHRONIC ARTHRITIS

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalenceof histone antibodies in early onset pauciarticular juvenilechronic arthritis (JCA), and to assess any association withdisease activity in terms of arthritis or uveitis. Forty-four children with early onset pauciarticular JCA havebeen assessed prospectively using clinical and laboratory parameters.Sera were collected from these patients during clinical follow-up.Some of them had serial measurements during the period of study.Patient sera were analysed for histone antibodies by ELISA.A further study using 30 synthetic peptides of calf thymus corehistones was performed by ELISA. Seventy-five per cent of children have IgM antibodies to histone,usually to more than one type. The highest values were antiH3 and H4 antibodies. There was no correlation between the levelof anti-histone antibodies and anterior uveitis. There were increased levels of IgG antibodies to histone peptides,in particular the N- and C-terminal peptides of H3 in 70.5%of children. Antibodies to H3 peptides tend to be in patientswith chronic anterior uveitis (P = 0.04). KEY WORDS: Juvenile chronic arthritis, Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Chronic anterior uveitis, Chronic iridocyclitis, Anti-histone antibodies, histone synthetic peptides