Association of neopterin as a marker of immune system activation and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis activity

Objective: To evaluate neopterin plasma concentrations in patients with active juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and correlate them with disease activity. Methods: Sixty patients diagnosed as active JIA, as well as another 60 apparently healthy age‐ and gender‐matched children as controls, were recruited from the Pediatrics Allergy and Immunology Clinic, Ain Shams University. Disease activity was assessed by the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score 27 (JADAS‐27). Laboratory investigations were performed for all patients, including determination of hemoglobin concentration (Hgb), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C‐reactive protein. Serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), and neopterin were measured. Results: Significant differences were found between JIA patients and controls with regard to the mean levels of Hgb, ESR, TNF‐α, IL‐6, and MCP‐1 (p