Novel self-epitopes derived from aggrecan, fibrillin, and matrix metalloproteinase-3 drive distinct autoreactive T-cell responses in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and in health

Table 1 Characteristics of patients with JIA

	JIA	Oligoarticular JIA	Polyarticular JIA
Male/Female	9/27 (25%/75%)	3/13 (19%/81%)	6/14 (30%/70%)
Age range in years (median)	3.5–18.9 (11.4)	3.5–16.6 (11.7)	4.9–18.9 (10.9)
Disease duration^a	5.1 (3.3)	5.2 (4.0)	5.0 (2.8)
Disease activity (active/remission)	22/14 (61%/39%)	9/7 (56%/44%)	13/7 (65%/35%)
RF-positive	2 (6%)	0	2 (10%)
ANA-positive	21 (58%)	11 (69%)	10 (50%)
Uveitis	3 (8%)	2 (13%)	1 (5%)
NSAID use	30 (83%)	11 (69%)	19 (95%)
Sulfasalazine and/or methotrexate use	10 (28%)	2 (13%)	8 (40%)

^aExpressed in years as mean (standard deviation). Disease duration at the time of sampling was defined as the time that passed since the first disease-related symptom (arthritis). The presence of joint swelling or limitation of movement with either pain on movement or tenderness defined active disease. The absence of joint swelling or limitation of movement with either pain on movement or tenderness defined disease remission. None of the patients was treated with prednisone, anti-tumor necrosis factor-α, or anti-interleukin-1 therapy. ANA, anti-nuclear antigen; JIA, juvenile idiopathic arthritis; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; RF, rheumatoid factor.

ISSN: 1478-6362