Abstract

Objective: Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) develop against the structures found in the cell nucleus. These antibodies canbe positive in the autoimmune disorders, but they can be also detected in healthy people. The objective of our studywas to determine the definitive diagnosis of the patients referred to our clinic due to the ANA positivity and find outwhether they develop rheumatologic disorders during the clinical follow-up.

Material and Methods: We have reviewed the medical files of children who were referred to the pediatric rheumatologydepartment between 2014 and 2016 with ANA positivity.

Results: 43 subjects were enrolled in the study. The complaints of the referred patients at first presentation wereas follows: joint symptoms in 19 patients (44.2%), mucocutaneous symptoms in 13 patients (30.2%), hematologicalfindings in 6 patients (14%), neurological symptoms in 3 patients (7%), and Raynaud’s phenomenon in 2 patients(4.6%). 34 patients (79%) had a positive ANA titer ≥ 1/160. The ANA titer level was below 1/160 in 9 patients (21%).23 patients (53.4%) were diagnosed with a rheumatologic disease, while 20 patients did not have any rheumatologicdisorder. There was no significant difference between the ANA-positive (n=34) and ANA-negative (n=9) patients withregards to the clinical and laboratory characteristics. The comparison of the patients with and without a rheumatologicdisorder revealed that the presence of auto-antibodies was more common and acute phase reactant levels were higherin the disease group for arthralgia, arthritis and Raynaud’s phenomenon.

Conclusion: We conclude that ANA testing should preferably be requested in the presence of clinical findings associatedwith rheumatologic disorders.

Keywords: Anti-nuclear antibody, Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Rheumatologic disease

References

  1. 1. Fritzler MJ. Choosing wisely: Review and commentary on antinuclear
  2. antibody (ANA) testing. Autoimmun Rev 2016;15:272-80.
  3. 2. Kavanaugh A, Tomar R, Reveille J, Solomon DH, Homburger HA.
  4. Guidelines for clinical use of the antinuclear antibody test and tests
  5. for specific autoantibodies to nuclear antigens. American College
  6. of Pathologists. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2000;124:71-81.
  7. 3. Watanabe A, Kodera M, Sugiura K, Usuda T, Tan EM, Takasaki Y, et
  8. al. Anti-DFS70 antibodies in 597 healthy hospital workers. Arthritis
  9. Rheum 2004;50:892-900.
  10. 4. Martini G, Foeldvari I, Russo R, Cuttica R, Eberhard A, Ravelli A,
  11. et al. Systemic sclerosis in childhood: clinical and immunologic
  12. features of 153 patients in an international database. Arthritis
  13. Rheum 2006;54:3971-8.
  14. 5. Scalapino K, Arkachaisri T, Lucas M, Fertig N, Helfrich DJ, Londino
  15. AV Jr, et al. Childhood onset systemic sclerosis: classification,
  16. clinical and serologic features, and survival in comparison with
  17. adult onset disease. J Rheumatol 2006;33:1004-13.
  18. 6. Kishi T, Miyamae T, Hara R, Nakajima S, Imagawa T, Mori M, et al.
  19. Clinical analysis of 50 children with juvenile dermatomyositis. Mod
  20. Rheum 2013;23:311-7.
  21. 7. Gowdie PJ, Allen RC, Kornberg AJ, Akikusa JD. Clinical features
  22. and disease course of patients with juvenile dermatomyositis. Int J
  23. Rheum Dis 2013;16:561-7.
  24. 8. Bader-Meunier B, Armengaud JB, Haddad E, Salomon R,
  25. Deschênes G, Koné-Paut ,et al. Initial presentation of childhoodonset
  26. systemic lupus erythematosus: a French multicenter study. J
  27. Pediatr 2005;146:648-53.
  28. 9. Hiraki LT, Benseler SM, Tyrrell PN, Hebert D, Harvey E, Silverman
  29. ED. Clinical and laboratory characteristics and long-term outcome
  30. of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: A longitudinal study. J
  31. Pediatr 2008;152:550-6.
  32. 10. Berntson L, Andersson Gare B, Fasth A, Herlin T, Kristinsson J,
  33. Lahdenne P, et al. Incidence of juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the
  34. Nordic countries. A population based study with special reference
  35. to the validity of the ILAR and EULAR criteria. J Rheumatol
  36. 2003;30:2275-82.
  37. 11. Kasapcopur O, Ozbakir F, Arisoy N, Ingol H, Yazici H, Ozdogan
  38. H. Frequency of antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor in
  39. healthy Turkish children. Turk J Pediatr 1999;41:67-71.
  40. 12. Aho K, Koskela P, Makitalo R, Heliovaara M, Palosuo T. Antinuclear
  41. antibodies heralding the onset of systemic lupus erythematosus. J
  42. Rheumatol 1992;19:1377-9.
  43. 13. Cabral DA, Petty RE, Fung M, Malleson PN. Persistent antinuclear
  44. antibodies in children without identifiable inflammatory rheumatic
  45. or autoimmune disease. Pediatrics 1992;89:441-4.
  46. 14. Deane PM, Liard G, Siegel DM, Baum J. The outcome of children
  47. referred to a pediatric rheumatology clinic with a positive antinuclear
  48. antibody test but without an autoimmune disease. Pediatrics
  49. 995;95:892-5.
  50. 15. Menor Almagro R, Rodriguez Gutierrez JF, Martin-Martinez MA,
  51. Rodriguez Valls MJ, Aranda Valera C, de la Iglesia Salgado JL.
  52. Association between antinuclear antibodies titers and connective
  53. tissue diseases in a Rheumatology Department. Reumatol Clin
  54. 2017;13-150-5.
  55. 16. Gundin S, Irure-Ventura J, Asensio E, Ramos D, Mahler M,
  56. Martinez-Taboada V, et al. Measurement of anti-DFS70 antibodies
  57. in patients with ANA-associated autoimmune rheumatic diseases
  58. suspicion is cost-effective. Auto Immun Highlights 2016;7:10.

Copyright and license

How to cite

1.
Bilginer Y. Characteristics of Patients Referred to the Pediatric Rheumatology Polyclinic with Anti-Nuclear Antibody (ANA) Positivity. Turk J Pediatr Dis [Internet]. 2019 Mar. 21 [cited 2025 May 25];13(1):13-8. Available from: https://turkjpediatrdis.org/article/view/634