Serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels in children affected with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Diyora Abdukhakimova,
Kuanysh Dossybayeva,
Zhaina Almukhamedova,
Zaure Mukusheva,
Maykesh Assylbekova,
Dilnaz Zhangabylova,
Kadisha Nurgaliyeva,
Nurgul Boluspayeva,
Kenzhekhan Kulmangabetova,
Liliya Hasanova,
Matthew Tanko,
Dimitri Poddighe
Affiliations
Diyora Abdukhakimova
Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan
Kuanysh Dossybayeva
Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan
Zhaina Almukhamedova
Program of Pediatric Rheumatology, Clinical Academic Department of Pediatrics, National Research Center for Maternal and Child Health, University Medical Center, Astana, Kazakhstan
Zaure Mukusheva
Program of Pediatric Rheumatology, Clinical Academic Department of Pediatrics, National Research Center for Maternal and Child Health, University Medical Center, Astana, Kazakhstan
Maykesh Assylbekova
Program of Pediatric Rheumatology, Clinical Academic Department of Pediatrics, National Research Center for Maternal and Child Health, University Medical Center, Astana, Kazakhstan
Dilnaz Zhangabylova
Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan
Kadisha Nurgaliyeva
Clinical Academic Department of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology and Genetics, Republican Diagnostic Center, University Medical Center, Astana, Kazakhstan
Nurgul Boluspayeva
Clinical Academic Department of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology and Genetics, Republican Diagnostic Center, University Medical Center, Astana, Kazakhstan
Kenzhekhan Kulmangabetova
Clinical Academic Department of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology and Genetics, Republican Diagnostic Center, University Medical Center, Astana, Kazakhstan
Liliya Hasanova
Pediatric Service, Clinical Academic Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center, Astana, Kazakhstan
Matthew Tanko
Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan; Clinical Academic Department of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology and Genetics, Republican Diagnostic Center, University Medical Center, Astana, Kazakhstan
Dimitri Poddighe
Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan; Program of Pediatric Rheumatology, Clinical Academic Department of Pediatrics, National Research Center for Maternal and Child Health, University Medical Center, Astana, Kazakhstan; Clinical Academic Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center, Astana, Kazakhstan; Corresponding author. School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University (Kerei-Zhanibek Str. 5/1, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan.
Background and objective: Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the most abundant antibody isotype in the human body, considering its presence on the mucosal surfaces, in addition to the amount circulating in the bloodstream. Serum IgA levels can be variably altered in several pathological settings. However, very few studies specifically investigated serum IgA in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). In the present study, we specifically assessed serum IgA levels in our cohort of patients affected with JIA. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, serum IgA levels were measured in patients with JIA (and age-matched controls) and analyzed according to age class. The correlation of serum IgA levels with hematological, inflammatory, and disease activity parameters was assessed. Results: No significant difference in the frequency of low IgA levels (according to the definition of complete and partial IgA deficiency) was observed between JIA patients and controls, overall. This pediatric study population showed a progressive increase of total serum IgA concentrations with age, as expected; however, in JIA patients aged 10–17 years, total IgA serum levels resulted to be significantly higher than in age-matched control subjects. No clear correlation between IgA levels and the examined inflammatory, hematological, and disease activity parameters was observed in JIA patients, except for the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in oligoarticular JIA patients: here, serum IgA levels showed a positive and moderate covariation with ESR, which was also observed for disease activity (JADAS-10) in selected oJIA patients without biological therapy. Conclusions: In our cohort of JIA patients, total serum IgA levels were not reduced and were actually increased in adolescents compared to controls. Larger studies are needed to confirm this finding, which cannot be certainly explained based on the available data in this study, even though JIA disease control and/or chronic inflammation may be implicated to some extent.
