Serum Concentration Of Interleukin 12 in Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: Correlation With Disease Activity & Severity

This study was carried on fifty five subjects , 10 apparently healthyvolunteers and fourty five patients with JRA .They were randomly takenfrom the outpatient clinic of the Rheumatology and Rehabilitationdepartment , Zagazig university hospitals , they were 19 females and 26males , their ages ranged from 2.5- 27 years.The duration of the diseaseranged from 0.3 - 9 years .The aim of this work is to investigate IL12 serum concentrations inJRA patients according to the various subtypes and correlate its level withthe degree of disease activity and disease severity.All patients and volunteers were subjected to examination sheet withstress on complete history taking , complete clinical examinationincluding general examination and Detailed locomotor syetemexamination with stress on : parameters of disease activity which wasassessed by using multivariate analysis : - morning stiffness, visualanalogue scale , grip strength articular index ; hemoglobin concentrationand erythrocyte sedimentation rate and parameters of disease severity asFunctional capacity of the patients .Also all patients and volunteers were subjected to radiologicalassessment including plain x-ray on both hands and feet (posteroanteriorviews). According to (Stienbrocker et al ., 1949) , the radiological andclinical findings used to classify the progression of JRA into four stages .Radiological findings were taken as a parameter of disease severity.