REVIEW article

Front. Med., 04 April 2022

Sec. Rheumatology

Volume 9 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.851532

B Cells on the Stage of Inflammation in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Leading or Supporting Actors in Disease Pathogenesis?

  • 1. Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

  • 2. Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte (CHULN), Lisbon Academic Medical Centre, Lisbon, Portugal

Article metrics

View details

14

Citations

7,1k

Views

3,1k

Downloads

Abstract

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a term that collectively refers to a group of chronic childhood arthritides, which together constitute the most common rheumatic condition in children. The International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) criteria define seven categories of JIA: oligoarticular, polyarticular rheumatoid factor (RF) negative (RF-), polyarticular RF positive (RF+), systemic, enthesitis-related arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and undifferentiated arthritis. The ILAR classification includes persistent and extended oligoarthritis as subcategories of oligoarticular JIA, but not as distinct categories. JIA is characterized by a chronic inflammatory process affecting the synovia that begins before the age of 16 and persists at least 6 weeks. If not treated, JIA can cause significant disability and loss of quality of life. Treatment of JIA is adjusted according to the severity of the disease as combinations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), synthetic and/ or biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Although the disease etiology is unknown, disturbances in innate and adaptive immune responses have been implicated in JIA development. B cells may have important roles in JIA pathogenesis through autoantibody production, antigen presentation, cytokine release and/ or T cell activation. The study of B cells has not been extensively explored in JIA, but evidence from the literature suggests that B cells might have indeed a relevant role in JIA pathophysiology. The detection of autoantibodies such as antinuclear antibodies (ANA), RF and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) in JIA patients supports a breakdown in B cell tolerance. Furthermore, alterations in B cell subpopulations have been documented in peripheral blood and synovial fluid from JIA patients. In fact, altered B cell homeostasis, B cell differentiation and B cell hyperactivity have been described in JIA. Of note, B cell depletion therapy with rituximab has been shown to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment in children with JIA, which further supports B cell intervention in disease development.

Introduction

B cells have several important roles in autoimmunity such as autoantibody production, antigen presentation, cytokine release, and T cell activation. B cell development originates in the bone marrow, where these cells undergo different maturation stages and critical checkpoint mechanisms to ensure tolerance and are released in the periphery as immature cells. These antigen-naïve B cells circulate through the blood and lymphatic systems to secondary lymphoid organs where, upon activation and exposure to antigen, they proliferate and differentiate into memory B cells or antibody-producing plasma cells. During B cell differentiation process at germinal centers, B cells are clonally expanded and go through somatic hypermutation, affinity maturation and class or isotype switching (Figure 1) (1). Defects in central tolerance mechanisms (clonal deletion, anergy, and/ or receptor editing) occurring in the bone marrow and/ or during peripheral tolerance can contribute to the development of autoreactive B cells and autoimmune diseases (24). Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disorder in children. Disturbances in both innate and adaptive immune systems have been described in JIA patients. The study of B cells has not been extensively explored in JIA, but evidence from the literature suggests that B cells might have a relevant role in JIA pathogenesis (57). Notably, the detection of autoantibodies such as antinuclear antibodies (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF), and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) in JIA patients supports a breakdown in B cell tolerance (8). Furthermore, it has been shown that JIA patients have increased rates of secondary V(D)J recombination (normally restricted to early B-cell precursors in the bone marrow) in peripheral blood B cells, with a skewed kappa (κ):lambda (λ) light chain usage (911). These data suggest that mature peripheral blood B cells of JIA patients have the potential to perform receptor revision outside the bone marrow and, therefore, promote autoimmunity (911). In addition, altered B cell homeostasis, B cell differentiation, and B cell hyperactivity have been described in JIA, which further supports B cell intervention in disease development (1219).

Figure 1

Figure 1

B cell origin and development. B cells originate from a lymphoid stem cell in the bone marrow and proceed through several maturation stages, during which V(D)J recombination and central tolerance mechanisms (clonal deletion, anergy, and receptor editing) occur. B cells leave the bone marrow and are released in the periphery as immature cells. These antigen-naïve B cells circulate through the blood and lymphatic systems to secondary lymphoid organs (lymph nodes, spleen, and Peyer's Patches) where, upon activation and exposure to antigen, they proliferate and differentiate into memory B cells or antibody-producing plasma cells. During B cell differentiation process at germinal centers, B cells are clonally expanded and go through somatic hypermutation, affinity maturation, and class-switching. Autoreactive B cells that may develop during B cell differentiation process and recognize self-antigens are eliminated by apoptosis. FDC, follicular dendritic cell; Ig, immunoglobulin; SHM, somatic hypermutation.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Definition, Classification and Disease Categories

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a term used to classify a group of heterogeneous chronic childhood inflammatory arthritides of unknown etiology, which together constitute the most common rheumatic condition in children (20). JIA is characterized by a chronic inflammatory process affecting the synovia that begins before the age of 16 and persists at least 6 weeks. Nonetheless, in some children, JIA can be a lifelong condition. JIA affects not only joints, but also extra-articular structures, including eyes, skin, and internal organs and, if not treated, can lead to serious disability and loss of quality of life (21, 22). The International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) criteria define seven categories of JIA: oligoarticular, polyarticular RF negative (RF-), polyarticular RF positive (RF+), systemic, enthesitis-related arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and undifferentiated arthritis (23). The ILAR classification includes persistent and extended oligoarthritis as subcategories of oligoarticular JIA, but not as distinct categories. JIA initial classification is determined according to the clinical features presented during the first 6 months of disease course, such as the number of affected joints, severity of disease, and presence or absence of inflammation in other parts of the body. The onset of new clinical features during the course of the disease determines the final disease subtype.

Oligoarticular

Oligoarticular JIA (oJIA) is the most common JIA subtype. It is defined as asymmetric arthritis affecting up to four joints, mainly large joints such as the knee, ankle, wrist, and/ or elbow, during the first 6 months after disease onset (23). oJIA can be subcategorized in two types of arthritis: persistent oJIA (no more than four joints are affected during the course of the disease) and extended oJIA (more than four joints are affected after the first 6 months of disease). oJIA usually begins before 4 years of age and female gender is predominantly affected (24). ANA are present in up to 60–80% of patients with oJIA. Importantly, oJIA is associated with a high risk of uveitis (24, 25), particularly in ANA positive (ANA+) patients (2628).

Polyarticular

Polyarticular JIA (pJIA) is the second most common JIA subtype, defined as arthritis in which 5 or more joints are affected during the first 6 months of the disease. There are two forms of pJIA: polyarticular RF negative (pJIA RF-) and polyarticular RF positive (pJIA RF+) (23). Female gender is predominant in both types of pJIA.

Polyarticular Rheumatoid Factor Negative

Patients with pJIA RF- have mostly asymmetric arthritis of small and large joints, and disease onset usually occurs between 2 and 12 years old. ANA can be detected in up to 40% of pJIA patients and uveitis can be present in up to 10% of cases (2325).

Polyarticular Rheumatoid Factor Positive

Patients with pJIA RF+ have symmetric arthritis mainly of small joints (metacarpophalangeal joints and wrists) and disease onset is more frequent in late childhood or adolescence. Arthritis development is associated to a more erosive and aggressive disease progression (2325).

Systemic

Systemic JIA (sJIA) is a disease subtype defined by the presence of arthritis in one or more joints and concomitant systemic manifestations that include fever persisting for more than 2 weeks, generalized lymphadenopathy, rash, hepatosplenomegaly, and/ or serositis (23). Disease onset may occur at any time during childhood and both female and male genders are equally affected. Autoantibodies are usually absent (25, 29). A dysregulation of the innate immune system has been associated to the systemic inflammation present in sJIA, suggesting that this JIA subtype may rather be part of the spectrum of autoinflammatory disorders (2933). Nevertheless, alterations in adaptive immunity have also been described in sJIA (3438).

Enthesitis-Related Arthritis

Enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) is a subtype of JIA that affects the joints of the lower limbs (hip, knee, ankle, and foot) in association with enthesitis. In addition, axial involvement and arthritis of the sacroiliac joints and upper limbs, particularly the shoulders, can also occur (23). ERA is more frequent in male gender. Disease onset usually occurs in late childhood or adolescence. Acute anterior uveitis and gut inflammation can also be present in ERA patients. The diagnosis of this JIA subtype is strongly associated to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 (25).

Psoriatic Arthritis

Juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JPsA) is characterized by an asymmetric arthritis of small and large joints and the presence either of a psoriatic rash or, in the absence of rash, at least two of the following criteria: first-degree relative with psoriasis, nail pitting or onycholysis, and dactylitis (23). Clinical symptoms may also include uveitis. JPsA is composed of two subgroups, differentiated by age at onset. Children with early-onset JPsA (<6 years old) are predominantly female, ANA+, more predisposed to uveitis, with arthritis of the wrists and small joints of the hands and feet. In contrast, children with later-onset JPsA are more associated to male gender, axial disease, enthesitis, and HLA-B27 positivity (39, 40).

Undifferentiated Arthritis

Undifferentiated juvenile idiopathic arthritis includes patients who do not fulfill the criteria for any JIA category above described, or who meet the criteria for more than one (23, 41).

The main clinical features of all JIA categories are summarized in Table 1. Notably, the complexity and heterogeneity of JIA diagnosis is still controversial and subject to new classification proposals (42, 43).

Table 1

JIA category
OligoarticularPolyarticular RF−Polyarticular RF+ERAJPsASystemic
Clinical prevalence50–60% of all JIA10–30% of all JIA5–10% of all JIA10–15% of all JIA5–6% of all JIA10–20% of all JIA
Gender predominanceFemaleFemaleFemaleMaleFemale (early-onset)
Male (later-onset)
Equal
Pattern of arthritis≤ 4 joints affected;
Mainly large joints;
Asymmetric
≥5 joints affected;
Small and large joints;
Symmetric or asymmetric
≥5 joints affected;
Mainly small joints;
Aggressive symmetric polyarthritis; Erosive
Lower limb joints more commonly affected;
Axial involvement;
Sacroiliac joints; Upper limbs
Small and large joints;
Asymmetric
≥1 joint affected;
Mostly wrists, knees, ankles or asymptomatic temporomandibular arthritis
Systemic manifestationsUveitisUveitisRheumatoid nodules;
Uveitis
Acute anterior uveitis;
Enthesitis;
Gut inflammation
Psoriasis;
Dactylitis; Onycholysis;
Nail pitting;
Uveitis
Fever;
Generalized
lymphadenopathy;
Rash;
Serositis; Hepatosplenomegaly; MAS
AutoantibodiesANAANA, ACPAANA, RF, ACPAANA (some cases)ANA (early-onset)Usually absent
Disease biomarkers60–80% ANA+40% ANA+RF+, ACPA+, 40% ANA+45–85% HLA-B27+50% ANA+Increased levels of CRP, Ferritin, Leukocytosis, Thrombocytosis

Clinical features of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

ACPA, anti-citrullinated protein antibodies; ANA, antinuclear antibodies; CRP, C-reactive protein; ERA, enthesitis-related arthritis; HLA-B27, human leukocyte antigen-B27; JIA, juvenile idiopathic arthritis; JPsA, juvenile psoriatic arthritis; MAS, macrophage activation syndrome; RF, rheumatoid factor.

Etiology and Risk Factors of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

The cause of JIA is unknown. Nevertheless, JIA has been established as an autoimmune disorder in which genetic susceptibility and environmental factors are associated to disease development. JIA might be initially triggered by the exposure to environmental factors in children with a genetic predisposition to synovial inflammation. Infections, vaccines, antibiotics, vitamin D deficiency, stress, and trauma have been proposed as environmental risk factors for JIA progression (25, 44, 45). In fact, it has been reported that infectious viruses (Epstein-Barr virus, Parvovirus B, Rubivirus, and Hepatitis B virus) and bacteria (Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Campylobacter spp., Streptococcus pyogenes, Bartonella henselae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumonia) may act as triggering agents of JIA (46). Furthermore, disturbances in the gut microbiome have been shown to increase the risk of JIA development (4749). Additionally, evidence from the literature suggests that maternal smoking during pregnancy can also be a risk factor for JIA (44, 50). Genetic predisposition to JIA is mainly due to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II molecules, although HLA class I molecules and non-HLA genes have also been implicated, depending on the disease category (24, 25, 29, 5157).

Immunopathogenesis of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

The mechanisms of immunopathogenesis of JIA are still poorly understood. JIA categories are complex, heterogeneous, with different contributions of immune system players and effector cells (24, 25, 5863). Indeed, several studies have demonstrated a predominance of adaptive immunity in the pathogenesis of oJIA, pJIA, ERA, and JPsA (14, 17, 18, 24, 25, 39, 57, 6486), whereas innate immune responses are the major contributors to disease development and progression in sJIA (29, 59, 8798). In fact, oJIA, pJIA, ERA, and JPsA are classified as autoimmune diseases, while sJIA has been proposed as an autoinflammatory disorder (25, 58, 59). In JIA, joint inflammation, swelling and tissue destruction are a hallmark of the disease. The pathophysiology mechanisms associated to JIA development are related to an abnormal activation of immune system cells such as B cells, T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells (DCs), monocytes, neutrophils, plasma cells, and to the production and release of pro-inflammatory mediators (cytokines, chemokines, enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases, aggrecanases, and cathepsins) that ultimately lead to cartilage and bone destruction and systemic manifestations. The inflammatory process that occurs at the synovial joint leads to the thickening of the synovial membrane due to an excessive proliferation of synoviocytes and infiltration of the sub-lining layer of the synovium by immunocompetent cells (lymphocytes, macrophages, granulocytes, plasma cells…), which causes hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the synovium (Figure 2). Consequently, intra-articular hypoxia occurs and pathological angiogenesis initiates. The new blood vessels that form within the synovium increase blood supply and contribute to the migration of pro-inflammatory cells into the joint, thus forming a pathological synovium known as “pannus.” Overall, the complex cellular networks and the release of inflammatory mediators that occur within JIA synovium stimulate chondrocytes and osteoclasts that trigger cartilage and bone erosion, respectively (Figure 2) (99107).

Figure 2

Figure 2

Synovial inflammation in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. This is a representative scheme illustrating the differences between healthy and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) joints. In JIA, the inflammatory process that occurs at the synovial joint is characterized by an uncontrolled proliferation of synoviocytes and cellular infiltration of the sub-lining layer of the synovium by macrophages, granulocytes, B cells, T cells, and plasma cells, which causes synovial membrane hyperplasia. Consequently, intra-articular hypoxia occurs and pathological angiogenesis initiates. The new blood vessels that form within the synovium increase blood supply and contribute to the migration of pro-inflammatory cells into the joint, thus forming a pathological synovium known as “pannus.” The complex cellular networks that occur within JIA synovium and the production of inflammatory mediators such as cytokines, chemokines and metalloproteinases stimulate chondrocytes and osteoclasts that trigger cartilage and bone erosion, respectively.

B Cell Roles in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Pathophysiology

JIA has been classically considered a T-cell driven autoimmune disease, except for sJIA subtype, in which innate immune cells have a central role in disease pathogenesis as previously mentioned. However, the detection of autoantibodies reacting with different target antigens in JIA patients suggests a central role of B cells in JIA pathophysiology. In fact, B cells may have important roles in JIA pathogenesis through autoantibody production, antigen presentation, cytokine release, and/ or T cell activation (Figure 3) (57). Although the study of B cells has not been extensively explored in JIA, evidence from the literature suggest the occurrence of alterations in B cell differentiation, homeostasis and hyperactivity in JIA patients, which can contribute to disease progression.

Figure 3

Figure 3

B cell roles in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. B cells can have several important roles in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) pathogenesis through autoantibody production (A), antigen presentation and/ or T cell activation (B,C), cytokine release and contribute to bone damage in JIA synovial joint (D). In JIA, activated B cells can differentiate into autoantibody-producing plasma cells. Plasma cells produce autoantibodies that can form immune complexes that deposit in the joints and trigger macrophage activation through Fc-gamma receptors (FcγR) (A). Activated macrophages can release several pro-inflammatory mediators such as cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, and TNF) that contribute to the inflammatory process (A). B cells can also act as efficient antigen presenting cells and activate T cells (B). Regulatory B cells (Bregs) may also have an important contribution in JIA pathogenesis through either a defective suppression of T helper cell subsets (Th1 and Th17) and/ or an impairment of regulatory T cells (Tregs) activation (C). B cells can also release cytokines such as TNF and RANKL that can activate osteoclastogenesis and trigger bone erosion in JIA synovial joint (D). ACPA, anti-citrullinated protein antibodies; ANA, antinuclear antibodies; APRIL, A proliferation-inducing ligand; BCR, B cell receptor; Breg, regulatory B cell; CD, cluster of differentiation; FcγR, Fc-gamma receptor; IL, interleukin; MHC-II, major histocompatibility complex class II; RANKL, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand; RF, rheumatoid factor; TCR, T cell receptor; TGF-β, transforming growth factor beta; Th, T helper; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; Treg, regulatory T cell.

Autoantibody Production

Autoantibody production is a hallmark function of B cells in autoimmunity. In JIA, autoantibodies such as ANA, RF and ACPA can be detected in the serum of these patients (8, 108114), which supports a breakdown in B cell tolerance. ANA are autoantibodies that can target several autoantigens within cell nucleus structures including nucleic acids, nucleosomes, phospholipids, and several nuclear and nucleolar proteins (115). These autoantigens, which are normally “hidden,” are exposed to antigen presenting cells during cell death, particularly during apoptosis. ANA can be detected in several autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), RA, Sjögren's syndrome, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, mixed connective tissue disease, juvenile dermatomyositis, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, ulcerative colitis, and autoimmune thyroiditis (116125). In JIA patients, the overall seroprevalence of ANA among all subtypes of JIA combined is < 50% (126). ANA are more commonly detected in oJIA and pJIA (mostly in pJIA RF-) patients and are particularly more prevalent in young, female oJIA patients (127). In JPsA patients, ANA positivity is also more strongly associated with early-onset disease and female predominance (39). ANA are less commonly detected in sJIA and undifferentiated JIA (126). Although the exact contribution of ANA to JIA pathology remains unclear, previous reports have suggested that ANA positivity is associated with the development of ectopic lymphoid structures in synovial tissue (16). Interestingly, the presence of a lymphoid organization in synovial tissue from ANA+ JIA patients was strongly related to the concomitant degree of plasma cells infiltration (16). Thus, the development of these lymphoid structures could contribute to the interactions between autoreactive B and T cells, which could directly support the production of these autoantibodies and the inflammatory process in the joint. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that ANA are associated to a higher risk of uveitis (119, 128). RF is an immunoglobulin of any isotype (predominantly IgM) that specifically recognizes the Fc portion of IgG molecules, which was first described in RA patients (129, 130) and is currently included in the classification criteria for RA (131). RF can be detected in other autoimmune disorders such as SLE, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic sclerosis, mixed connective tissue disease, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, as well as in healthy individuals (132, 133). RF have also been identified in JIA patients (8, 134) and, despite being present in a small subgroup of pJIA patients (only 5% of total JIA patients), RF positivity is associated with a worse disease prognosis (113, 135). Indeed, patients with pJIA RF+ are at higher risk of a more aggressive disease course with cartilage and bone erosions than JIA patients without RF (113, 136138). Notably, pJIA RF+ is considered the pediatric version of adult RA (139, 140). In fact, it has been demonstrated that the majority of pJIA patients, particularly pJIA RF+, evolve to RA in adulthood (21). Of note, these observations reinforce that pJIA RF+ and RA are likely to have similar underlying pathological mechanisms and that current treatment strategies applied in RA are directly relevant to pJIA RF+. RF can have important physiological roles in the normal immune system such as promoting phagocytosis and the removal of antigen-antibody complexes in the course of infection; fixation of complement; and enhancing B cell antigen uptake and presentation to CD4+ T cells (141). Nevertheless, these naturally-occurring RF are generally low-affinity and polyreactive, whereas pathogenic RF tend to have undergone affinity maturation (133, 142). Although the mechanisms of RF production are not entirely understood, previous reports have described to be dependent on immune-complex recognition by B cell receptors in the context of toll-like receptor stimulation, as well as T cell help (143145). ACPA are autoantibodies that recognize citrullinated peptides and proteins and, similarly to RF, are included in the classification criteria for RA (131). Although ACPA are highly specific to RA diagnosis, these antibodies can also be detected in JIA patients, particularly in pJIA RF+ (111, 112, 114, 146148). In fact, it has been demonstrated that ACPA detected in pJIA RF+ patients express the inherently autoreactive 9G4 idiotope, which supports an activation of autoreactive 9G4+ B cells in JIA (148), similarly to what has been described in RA patients (149). Importantly, ACPA detection in JIA patients is associated to more severe and erosive disease progression, which might implicate an earlier and more intensive treatment (8, 112114, 146, 150, 151). During inflammation, ACPA might be produced in a process called citrullination, a post-translational modification catalyzed by peptidylarginine deiminases (PAD) enzymes in which arginine amino acid residues are enzymatically converted into citrulline residues in a wide range of proteins (152, 153). These structural changes in proteins can form new epitopes that trigger ACPA production by autoreactive B cells. Of note, both ACPA and RF autoantibodies are able to form immune complexes that deposit in the joints. These immune complexes can activate complement and macrophages through Fc-gamma receptors (FcγR) and induce cytokine release that contribute to the inflammatory process in JIA (Figure 3A) (8, 154, 155). Importantly, evidence of hypergammaglobulinaemia correlated with clinical disease activity has been described in JIA patients (mainly in oJIA and pJIA), which is consistent with B cell hyperactivity (14).

Antigen Presentation, Cytokine Release, and T Cell Activation

During the inflammatory process in JIA, B cells can function as efficient antigen presenting cells and, once activated, can release cytokines and stimulate T cell activation, thus contributing to the exacerbation of inflammation (Figure 3B). A distinctive feature of chronic inflammatory arthritis is the presence of synovial lymphocytic infiltrates that play a role in disease pathogenesis by secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other soluble mediators (156166). Indeed, both B and T cells are detected in synovial infiltrates from JIA and RA patients (17, 18, 69, 79, 156, 163165, 167172). In particular, high levels of plasma cells infiltration have been detected in the synovial membrane of JIA patients (69, 173). Furthermore, it has been shown that lymphoid neogenesis in JIA is correlated to ANA positivity and plasma cells infiltration not only in synovia, but also in iris tissue, which further supports a dysregulated B cell activation in JIA patients (16, 174, 175). Notably, it was shown that JIA patients with ANA+ anterior uveitis often show an infiltrate of plasma cells in iris (174). In addition, it has been demonstrated that activated memory B cells accumulate in the inflamed joints of patients with JIA (17, 18, 171, 176). Of note, it was shown that class-switched CD27+ and CD27- memory B cells expressed up-regulated levels of the costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 and could activate allogenic CD4+ T cells in vitro more effectively when compared to peripheral blood B cells (18). Additionally, it was observed that synovial B cells could not only induce the activation and polarization of T helper (Th)-1 cells, but also secrete Th1-polarizing cytokines (18). Overall, the accumulation of memory B cells in the synovia of JIA patients suggests antigen-driven activation of B cells within the inflamed tissues potentially triggered by local antigens (18). Changes in B cell subpopulations have also been documented in peripheral blood and synovial fluid from JIA patients (1214, 17, 18, 92, 177179). Indeed, expansions of CD5+ B cells and transitional (CD24highCD38high) B cells have been reported in oJIA and pJIA patients (1214, 17), which suggest that defects in B cell differentiation and homeostasis may occur in JIA. Of note, CD5+ B cells might be involved in autoantibody production and have the ability to function as antigen presenting cells (180182). Moreover, it has been demonstrated that transitional B cells (CD24highCD38high) can secrete interleukin (IL)-10 and regulate CD4+ T cell proliferation and differentiation toward T helper effector cells (183186). Furthermore, transitional B cells can also secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) that contribute to disease pathogenesis (187189). In addition, alterations in regulatory B cells (Bregs) have also been described in JIA patients that might contribute to disease development (178, 190). Indeed, it was shown that the frequency of CD19+CD24highCD38high Bregs was significantly decreased in peripheral blood and synovial fluid from JIA patients (178). Interestingly, patients with pJIA RF+ had reduced levels of CD19+CD24highCD38high Bregs when compared to patients with pJIA RF- (178). Moreover, the frequency of IL-10-producing Bregs (B10 cells) was significantly lower in active JIA patients in comparison to inactive patients (178). In fact, alterations in regulatory B cell numbers and/ or functions have been described in several autoimmune diseases (183, 191195). Previous studies have shown that RA patients have decreased frequencies of CD19+CD24highCD38high Bregs in circulation and that these cells fail to suppress Th17 cells differentiation (183). Furthermore, RA patients with active disease have reduced levels of CD19+CD24highCD38high Bregs in peripheral blood when compared to patients with inactive disease, similarly to what has been described in JIA (183). Taken together, these observations suggest that patients with JIA might have altered regulatory B cell functions, with defective suppression of T helper cell subsets (Th1 and Th17) and/ or impaired regulatory T cells activation, as previously described in other autoimmune diseases (Figure 3C) (183, 191195). In addition, increased levels of cytokines relevant for B cell activation, maturation, differentiation and survival such as B cell activating factor (BAFF), A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), IL-6 or IL-21, have been detected in serum and/ or synovial fluid from JIA patients (76, 89, 196201). Of note, BAFF and APRIL serum levels from JIA patients were significantly correlated with disease activity (199). Furthermore, elevated peripheral blood BAFF mRNA levels have been described in JIA patients (202). Also, increased levels of IL-6 and IL-21, cytokines relevant for B cell maturation and plasma cell differentiation, respectively, have been found in synovial fluid from JIA patients (76). Interestingly, IL-21 synovial fluid concentration was particularly increased in pJIA patients (76). Moreover, it was observed that a worse disease severity at baseline in JIA patients was associated with increased IL-6 plasma levels (201). Overall, these observations support the occurrence of B cell triggering mechanisms in JIA that contribute to disease progression. B cells can also act as major producers of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL), a key cytokine in osteoclastogenesis, and bone erosion (167, 169, 203). Interestingly, it has been shown that JIA patients have significantly increased levels of RANKL not only in serum, but also in synovial fluid (99, 204206). Importantly, higher levels of RANKL were associated with a more serious disease, particularly in pJIA patients (99, 205, 206). Thus, these observations suggest that B cells might have a critical role in bone damage and joint destruction in JIA (Figure 3D).

Treatment and B Cell Targeted Therapies in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Treatment of JIA is adjusted according to the severity of the disease as combinations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), synthetic and/ or biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (207210). Intra-articular corticosteroid injections can also be used with great effectiveness (211, 212). Systemic administration of corticosteroids can have a positive short-term effect, but its prolonged administration is associated with severe side effects such as osteoporosis, growth suppression or immunosuppression (213215). The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recommends early use of DMARDs in JIA patients, specifically methotrexate (MTX) (214, 216218). Furthermore, biological drugs have also been approved for JIA treatment, including TNF inhibitors (etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab, and golimumab) (219223); the T-cell modulator abatacept (224, 225); the humanized monoclonal antibody against the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) tocilizumab (226228) and the IL-1 inhibitor canakinumab (for sJIA) (229231). Moreover, IL-1R antagonist anakinra (232, 233) and IL-1 inhibitor rilonacept (234, 235) can also be used as effective treatments in sJIA. Additionally, the Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) tofacitinib is already approved for the treatment of JIA and clinical trials are currently ongoing to assess the effectiveness and safety of baricitinib in JIA treatment, with preliminary data showing promising results (236240). Despite the progress achieved in the last years in JIA treatment, about half of the patients continue to require active treatment into adult life, whereas complete remission is reached in only 20–25% of patients (241, 242). B cell depletion therapy with rituximab, a monoclonal antibody that targets CD20 expressed on B cells, is a successful treatment in autoimmune diseases such as RA (243, 244). Nevertheless, few studies have investigated the effectiveness and safety of this treatment option in JIA (7, 245253). Rituximab is currently only considered in JIA patients refractory to first-line treatments such as TNF inhibitors and standard immunosuppressive therapies, namely MTX (7, 25, 248, 253). Indeed, it has been demonstrated that rituximab is an effective therapeutic option in patients with severe forms of oligoarticular, polyarticular, and systemic JIA, refractory to several prior agents (245248, 251253). Adverse events such as infusion reactions, hypogammaglobulinaemia and infections have been reported in pediatric patients after B cell depletion therapy and must be taken into account (254, 255). Nonetheless, rituximab has been reported as an effective and well-tolerated treatment in children, with a low rate of serious infections described in JIA patients, although it is not formally approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for this indication (253). Notably, the efficacy of rituximab treatment in JIA patients strongly supports that B cells play an important role in JIA pathogenesis.

Conclusions

JIA is the most common rheumatic disorder in children, classified in seven different categories according to ILAR criteria. JIA can cause significant disability and loss of quality of life, if not treated. Disturbances in innate and adaptive immune responses have been implicated in JIA development. B cells are important players in autoimmune diseases and may have roles in JIA pathogenesis through autoantibody production, antigen presentation, cytokine release, and/ or T cell activation. The study of B cells has not been extensively explored in JIA, but evidence from the literature suggests that B cells might have indeed a relevant role in JIA pathophysiology. In fact, the detection of autoantibodies such as ANA, RF and ACPA in JIA patients supports a breakdown in B cell tolerance. Furthermore, altered B cell homeostasis, B cell differentiation, and B cell hyperactivity have been described in JIA, which further supports B cell intervention in disease development. B cell depletion therapy with rituximab is a treatment option considered in JIA patients refractory to first-line biologic treatments such as TNF inhibitors, which has been shown to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment in children with JIA, supporting B cell involvement in JIA pathogenesis. Therefore, further research studies concerning the role of B cells in JIA pathophysiology should be explored, which might be relevant for a better knowledge of disease pathogenesis and have important implications in current and future B-cell targeted therapeutic approaches in JIA.

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge Sociedade Portuguesa de Reumatologia (SPR) for funding. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Publisher's Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Statements

Author contributions

RAM conceptualized the manuscript, reviewed the literature, and wrote the manuscript. JEF revised the manuscript and contributed with important intellectual input. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

References

  • 1.

    MouraRAgua-DoceAWeinmannPGraçaLFonsecaJE. B cells from the bench to the clinical practice. Acta Reumatol Port. (2008) 33:13754.

  • 2.

    MeffreEWardemannH. B-cell tolerance checkpoints in health and autoimmunity. Curr Opin Immunol. (2008) 20:6328. 10.1016/j.coi.2008.09.001

  • 3.

    von BoehmerHMelchersF. Checkpoints in lymphocyte development and autoimmune disease. Nat Immunol. (2010) 11:1420. 10.1038/ni.1794

  • 4.

    ReijmSKisselTToesREM. Checkpoints controlling the induction of B cell mediated autoimmunity in human autoimmune diseases. Eur J Immunol. (2020) 50:188594. 10.1002/eji.202048820

  • 5.

    MorbachHGirschickHJ. Do B cells play a role in the pathogenesis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis?Autoimmunity. (2009) 42:3735. 10.1080/08916930902832306

  • 6.

    WiegeringVGirschickHJMorbachH. B-cell pathology in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis. (2010) 2010:759868. 10.1155/2010/759868

  • 7.

    WilkinsonMGLRosserEC. B cells as a therapeutic target in paediatric rheumatic disease. Front Immunol. (2019) 10:214. 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00214

  • 8.

    MahmudSABinstadtBA. Autoantibodies in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Front Immunol. (2018) 9:3168. 10.3389/fimmu.2018.03168

  • 9.

    FaberCMorbachHSinghSKGirschickHJ. Differential expression patterns of recombination-activating genes in individual mature B cells in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. (2006) 65:13516. 10.1136/ard.2005.047878

  • 10.

    LowJMChauhanAKMooreTL. Abnormal kappa:lambda light chain ratio in circulating immune complexes as a marker for B cell activity in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Scand J Immunol. (2007) 65:7683. 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2006.01859.x

  • 11.

    MorbachHRichlPFaberCSinghSKGirschickHJ. The kappa immunoglobulin light chain repertoire of peripheral blood B cells in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Mol Immunol. (2008) 45:38406. 10.1016/j.molimm.2008.05.011

  • 12.

    MartiniAMassaMDe BenedettiFViolaSNeirottiGBurgioRG. CD5 positive B lymphocytes in seronegative juvenile arthritis. J Rheumatol. (1990) 17:9325.

  • 13.

    JarvisJNKaplanJFineN. Increase in CD5+ B cells in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Relationship to IgM rheumatoid factor expression and disease activity. Arthritis Rheum. (1992) 35:2047. 10.1002/art.1780350213

  • 14.

    WoutersCHPCeuppensJLStevensEaM. Different circulating lymphocyte profiles in patients with different subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. (2002) 20:23948.

  • 15.

    LeporeLDel SantoMMalorgioCPresaniGPerticarariSProdanMet al. Treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis with intra-articular triamcinolone hexacetonide: evaluation of clinical effectiveness correlated with circulating ANA and T gamma/delta + and B CD5+ lymphocyte populations of synovial fluid. Clin Exp Rheumatol. (2002) 20:71922.

  • 16.

    GregorioAGambiniCGerloniVParafioritiASormaniMPGregorioSet al. Lymphoid neogenesis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis correlates with ANA positivity and plasma cells infiltration. Rheumatology. (2007) 46:30813. 10.1093/rheumatology/kel225

  • 17.

    CorcioneAFerlitoFGattornoMGregorioAPistorioAGastaldiRet al. Phenotypic and functional characterization of switch memory B cells from patients with oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. (2009) 11:R150. 10.1186/ar2824

  • 18.

    MorbachHWiegeringVRichlPSchwarzTSuffaNEichhornE-Met al. Activated memory B cells may function as antigen-presenting cells in the joints of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. (2011) 63:345866. 10.1002/art.30569

  • 19.

    ZahranAMAbdallahAMSaadKOsmanNSYoussefMAMAbdel-RaheemYFet al. Peripheral blood B and T cell profiles in children with active juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arch Immunol Ther Exp. (2019) 67:42732. 10.1007/s00005-019-00560-7

  • 20.

    RavelliAMartiniA. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Lancet. (2007) 369:76778. 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60363-8

  • 21.

    Oliveira-RamosFEusébioMMMartinsFMourãoAFFurtadoCCampanilho-MarquesRet al. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis in adulthood: fulfilment of classification criteria for adult rheumatic diseases, long-term outcomes and predictors of inactive disease, functional status and damage RMD. Open. (2016) 2:e000304. 10.1136/rmdopen-2016-000304

  • 22.

    Oliveira RamosFRodriguesAMagalhaes MartinsFMeloATAguiarFBritesLet al. Health-related quality of life and disability in adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: comparison with adult-onset rheumatic diseases. RMD Open. (2021) 7:e001766. 10.1136/rmdopen-2021-001766

  • 23.

    PettyRESouthwoodTRMannersPBaumJGlassDNGoldenbergJet al. International League of Associations for Rheumatology classification of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: second revision, Edmonton, 2001. J Rheumatol. (2004) 31:3902.

  • 24.

    MacaubasCNguyenKMilojevicDParkJLMellinsED. Oligoarticular and polyarticular JIA: epidemiology and pathogenesis. Nat Rev Rheumatol. (2009) 5:61626. 10.1038/nrrheum.2009.209

  • 25.

    ZaripovaLNMidgleyAChristmasSEBeresfordMWBaildamEMOldershawRA. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: from aetiopathogenesis to therapeutic approaches. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2021) 19:135. 10.1186/s12969-021-00629-8

  • 26.

    GrassiACoronaFCasellatoACarnelliVBardareM. Prevalence and outcome of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis and relation to articular disease. J Rheumatol. (2007) 34:113945.

  • 27.

    CarlssonEBeresfordMWRamananAVDickADHedrichCM. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis associated uveitis. Children. (2021) 8:646. 10.3390/children8080646

  • 28.

    LazărCSpîrchezMStefanMPredeteanuDNicoarăSCrişanMet al. Diagnosis and treatment of uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Med Pharm Rep. (2021) 94:S2832. 10.15386/mpr-2224

  • 29.

    MellinsEDMacaubasCGromAA. Pathogenesis of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: some answers, more questions. Nat Rev Rheumatol. (2011) 7:41626. 10.1038/nrrheum.2011.68

  • 30.

    MartiniA. Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Autoimmun Rev. (2012) 12:569. 10.1016/j.autrev.2012.07.022

  • 31.

    MinoiaFDavìSHorneADemirkayaEBovisFLiCet al. Clinical features, treatment, and outcome of macrophage activation syndrome complicating systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a multinational, multicenter study of 362 patients. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2014) 66:31609. 10.1002/art.38802

  • 32.

    BoomVAntonJLahdennePQuartierPRavelliAWulffraatNMet al. Evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of macrophage activation syndrome in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2015) 13:55. 10.1186/s12969-015-0055-3

  • 33.

    RavelliAMinoiaFDavìSHorneABovisFPistorioAet al. 2016 classification criteria for macrophage activation syndrome complicating systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation Collaborative Initiative. Ann Rheum Dis. (2016) 75:4819. 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-208982

  • 34.

    OmoyinmiEHamaouiRPesenackerANistalaKMoncrieffeHUrsuSet al. Th1 and Th17 cell subpopulations are enriched in the peripheral blood of patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatology. (2012) 51:18816. 10.1093/rheumatology/kes162

  • 35.

    OmbrelloMJRemmersEFTachmazidouIGromAFoellDHaasJ-Pet al. HLA-DRB1*11 and variants of the MHC class II locus are strong risk factors for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. (2015) 112:159705. 10.1073/pnas.1520779112

  • 36.

    KesselCLippitzKWeinhageTHinzeCWittkowskiHHolzingerDet al. Proinflammatory cytokine environments can drive interleukin-17 overexpression by γ/δ T cells in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2017) 69:148094. 10.1002/art.40099

  • 37.

    HendersonLAHoytKJLeePYRaoDAJonssonAHNguyenJPet al. Th17 reprogramming of T cells in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JCI Insight. (2020) 5:132508. 10.1172/jci.insight.132508

  • 38.

    KesselCHedrichCMFoellD. Innately adaptive or truly autoimmune: is there something unique about systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis?Arthritis Rheumatol. (2020) 72:2109. 10.1002/art.41107

  • 39.

    StollMLPunaroM. Psoriatic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a tale of two subgroups. Curr Opin Rheumatol. (2011) 23:43743. 10.1097/BOR.0b013e328348b278

  • 40.

    StollMLMellinsED. Psoriatic arthritis in childhood: a commentary on the controversy. Clin Immunol. (2020) 214:108396. 10.1016/j.clim.2020.108396

  • 41.

    GiancaneGConsolaroALanniSDavìSSchiappapietraBRavelliA. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: diagnosis and treatment. Rheumatol Ther. (2016) 3:187207. 10.1007/s40744-016-0040-4

  • 42.

    MartiniA. It is time to rethink juvenile idiopathic arthritis classification and nomenclature. Ann Rheum Dis. (2012) 71:14379. 10.1136/annrheumdis-2012-201388

  • 43.

    MartiniARavelliAAvcinTBeresfordMWBurgos-VargasRCutticaRet al. Toward new classification criteria for juvenile idiopathic arthritis: first steps, pediatric rheumatology international trials organization international consensus. J Rheumatol. (2019) 46:1907. 10.3899/jrheum.180168

  • 44.

    CarlensCJacobssonLBrandtLCnattingiusSStephanssonOAsklingJ. Perinatal characteristics, early life infections and later risk of rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. (2009) 68:115964. 10.1136/ard.2008.089342

  • 45.

    KindgrenELudvigssonJ. Infections and antibiotics during fetal life and childhood and their relationship to juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a prospective cohort study. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2021) 19:145. 10.1186/s12969-021-00611-4

  • 46.

    RiganteDBoscoAEspositoS. The etiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. (2015) 49:25361. 10.1007/s12016-014-8460-9

  • 47.

    VerwoerdATer HaarNMde RoockSVastertSJBogaertD. The human microbiome and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2016) 14:55. 10.1186/s12969-016-0114-4

  • 48.

    StollMLKumarRLefkowitzEJCronRQMorrowCDBarnesS. Fecal metabolomics in pediatric spondyloarthritis implicate decreased metabolic diversity and altered tryptophan metabolism as pathogenic factors. Genes Immun. (2016) 17:4005. 10.1038/gene.2016.38

  • 49.

    XinLHeFLiSZhouZ-XMaX-L. Intestinal microbiota and juvenile idiopathic arthritis: current understanding and future prospective. World J Pediatr. (2021) 17:4051. 10.1007/s12519-020-00371-3

  • 50.

    JaakkolaJJKGisslerM. Maternal smoking in pregnancy as a determinant of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory polyarthropathies during the first 7 years of life. Int J Epidemiol. (2005) 34:66471. 10.1093/ije/dyi006

  • 51.

    VicarioJLMartinez-LasoJGomez-ReinoJJGomez-ReinoFJRegueiroJRCorellAet al. Both HLA class II and class III DNA polymorphisms are linked to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. (1990) 56:228. 10.1016/0090-1229(90)90165-M

  • 52.

    HollenbachJAThompsonSDBugawanTLRyanMSudmanMMarionMet al. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis and HLA class I and class II interactions and age-at-onset effects. Arthritis Rheum. (2010) 62:178191. 10.1002/art.27424

  • 53.

    ChistiakovDASavost'anovKVBaranovAA. Genetic background of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Autoimmunity. (2014) 47:35160. 10.3109/08916934.2014.889119

  • 54.

    HershAOPrahaladS. Immunogenetics of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a comprehensive review. J Autoimmun. (2015) 64:11324. 10.1016/j.jaut.2015.08.002

  • 55.

    De SilvestriACapittiniCPoddigheDMarsegliaGLMascarettiLBevilacquaEet al. HLA-DRB1 alleles and juvenile idiopathic arthritis: diagnostic clues emerging from a meta-analysis. Autoimmun Rev. (2017) 16:12306. 10.1016/j.autrev.2017.10.007

  • 56.

    HershAOPrahaladS. Genetics of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. (2017) 43:43548. 10.1016/j.rdc.2017.04.007

  • 57.

    MistryRRPatroPAgarwalVMisraDP. Enthesitis-related arthritis: current perspectives. Open Access Rheumatol. (2019) 11:1931. 10.2147/OARRR.S163677

  • 58.

    PrakkenBAlbaniSMartiniA. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Lancet. (2011) 377:213849. 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60244-4

  • 59.

    SikoraKAGromAA. Update on the pathogenesis and treatment of systemic idiopathic arthritis. Curr Opin Pediatr. (2011) 23:6406. 10.1097/MOP.0b013e32834cba24

  • 60.

    LinY-TWangC-TGershwinMEChiangB-L. The pathogenesis of oligoarticular/polyarticular vs systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Autoimmun Rev. (2011) 10:4829. 10.1016/j.autrev.2011.02.001

  • 61.

    SchmidtTBertholdEArve-ButlerSGullstrandBMossbergAKahnFet al. Children with oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis have skewed synovial monocyte polarization pattern with functional impairment-a distinct inflammatory pattern for oligoarticular juvenile arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. (2020) 22:186. 10.1186/s13075-020-02279-9

  • 62.

    Arve-ButlerSSchmidtTMossbergABertholdEGullstrandBBengtssonAAet al. Synovial fluid neutrophils in oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis have an altered phenotype and impaired effector functions. Arthritis Res Ther. (2021) 23:109. 10.1186/s13075-021-02483-1

  • 63.

    MetzemaekersMMalengier-DevliesBYuKVandendriesscheSYserbytJMatthysPet al. Synovial fluid neutrophils from patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis display a hyperactivated phenotype. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2021) 73:87584. 10.1002/art.41605

  • 64.

    MurrayKJLuyrinkLGromAAPassoMHEmeryHWitteDet al. Immunohistological characteristics of T cell infiltrates in different forms of childhood onset chronic arthritis. J Rheumatol. (1996) 23:211624.

  • 65.

    GattornoMPrigioneIMorandiFGregorioAChiesaSFerlitoFet al. Phenotypic and functional characterisation of CCR7+ and CCR7- CD4+ memory T cells homing to the joints in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. (2005) 7:R25667. 10.1186/ar1485

  • 66.

    AgarwalSMisraRAggarwalA. Interleukin 17 levels are increased in juvenile idiopathic arthritis synovial fluid and induce synovial fibroblasts to produce proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases. J Rheumatol. (2008) 35:5159.

  • 67.

    NistalaKMoncrieffeHNewtonKRVarsaniHHunterPWedderburnLR. Interleukin-17-producing T cells are enriched in the joints of children with arthritis, but have a reciprocal relationship to regulatory T cell numbers. Arthritis Rheum. (2008) 58:87587. 10.1002/art.23291

  • 68.

    OlivitoBSimoniniGCiulliniSMoriondoMBettiLGambineriEet al. Th17 transcription factor RORC2 is inversely correlated with FOXP3 expression in the joints of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. J Rheumatol. (2009) 36:201724. 10.3899/jrheum.090066

  • 69.

    FinneganSClarkeSGibsonDMcAllisterCRooneyM. Synovial membrane immunohistology in early untreated juvenile idiopathic arthritis: differences between clinical subgroups. Ann Rheum Dis. (2011) 70:184250. 10.1136/ard.2010.148635

  • 70.

    AmariglioNKleinADaganLLevAPadehSRechaviGet al. T-cell compartment in synovial fluid of pediatric patients with JIA correlates with disease phenotype. J Clin Immunol. (2011) 31:10218. 10.1007/s10875-011-9580-0

  • 71.

    CosmiLCimazRMaggiLSantarlasciVCaponeMBorrielloFet al. Evidence of the transient nature of the Th17 phenotype of CD4+CD161+ T cells in the synovial fluid of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. (2011) 63:250415. 10.1002/art.30332

  • 72.

    HaufeSHaugMScheppCKuemmerle-DeschnerJHansmannSRieberNet al. Impaired suppression of synovial fluid CD4+CD25- T cells from patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis by CD4+CD25+ Treg cells. Arthritis Rheum. (2011) 63:315362. 10.1002/art.30503

  • 73.

    BerkunYBenderskyAGersteinMGoldsteinIPadehSBankI. GammadeltaT cells in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: higher percentages of synovial Vdelta1+ and Vgamma9+ T cell subsets are associated with milder disease. J Rheumatol. (2011) 38:11239. 10.3899/jrheum.100938

  • 74.

    BenderskyAMarcu-MalinaVBerkunYGersteinMNagarMGoldsteinIet al. Cellular interactions of synovial fluid γδ T cells in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. J Immunol. (2012) 188:434959. 10.4049/jimmunol.1102403

  • 75.

    Stelmaszczyk-EmmelAJackowskaTRutkowska-SakLMarusak-BanackaMWasikM. Identification, frequency, activation and function of CD4+ CD25(high)FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatol Int. (2012) 32:114754. 10.1007/s00296-010-1728-3

  • 76.

    Szymańska-KałuzaJCebula-ObrzutBSmolewskiPStanczykJSmolewskaE. Imbalance of Th17 and T-regulatory cells in peripheral blood and synovial fluid in treatment naïve children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Cent Eur J Immunol. (2014) 39:716. 10.5114/ceji.2014.42128

  • 77.

    OberleEJHarrisJGVerbskyJW. Polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis - epidemiology and management approaches. Clin Epidemiol. (2014) 6:37993. 10.2147/CLEP.S53168

  • 78.

    WuS-AYehK-WLeeW-IYaoT-CHuangJ-L. Persistent improper upregulation of Th17 and TReg cells in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. (2016) 49:4028. 10.1016/j.jmii.2014.07.002

  • 79.

    SpreaficoRRossettiMvan LoosdregtJWallaceCAMassaMMagni-ManzoniSet al. circulating reservoir of pathogenic-like CD4+ T cells shares a genetic and phenotypic signature with the inflamed synovial micro-environment. Ann Rheum Dis. (2016) 75:45965. 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-206226

  • 80.

    RosserECLomHBendingDDuurlandCLBajaj-ElliottMWedderburnLR. Innate lymphoid cells and T cells contribute to the interleukin-17A signature detected in the synovial fluid of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2019) 71:4607. 10.1002/art.40731

  • 81.

    MahendraAMisraRAggarwalA. Th1 and Th17 predominance in the enthesitis-related arthritis form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. J Rheumatol. (2009) 36:17306. 10.3899/jrheum.081179

  • 82.

    ColbertRA. Classification of juvenile spondyloarthritis: enthesitis-related arthritis and beyond. Nat Rev Rheumatol. (2010) 6:47785. 10.1038/nrrheum.2010.103

  • 83.

    SherlockJPJoyce-ShaikhBTurnerSPChaoC-CSatheMGreinJet al. IL-23 induces spondyloarthropathy by acting on ROR-γt+ CD3+CD4-CD8- entheseal resident T cells. Nat Med. (2012) 18:106976. 10.1038/nm.2817

  • 84.

    JacquesPLambrechtSVerheugenEPauwelsEKolliasGArmakaMet al. Proof of concept: enthesitis and new bone formation in spondyloarthritis are driven by mechanical strain and stromal cells. Ann Rheum Dis. (2014) 73:43745. 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-203643

  • 85.

    GmucaSWeissPF. Juvenile spondyloarthritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol. (2015) 27:36472. 10.1097/BOR.0000000000000185

  • 86.

    FisherCCiurtinCLeandroMSenDWedderburnLR. Similarities and differences between juvenile and adult spondyloarthropathies. Front Med. (2021) 8:681621. 10.3389/fmed.2021.681621

  • 87.

    CorrellCKBinstadtBA. Advances in the pathogenesis and treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Pediatr Res. (2014) 75:17683. 10.1038/pr.2013.187

  • 88.

    de BenedettiFMassaMRobbioniPRavelliABurgioGRMartiniA. Correlation of serum interleukin-6 levels with joint involvement and thrombocytosis in systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. (1991) 34:115863. 10.1002/art.1780340912

  • 89.

    YilmazMKendirliSGAltintasDBingölGAntmenB. Cytokine levels in serum of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol. (2001) 20:305. 10.1007/s100670170100

  • 90.

    PascualVAllantazFArceEPunaroMBanchereauJ. Role of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in the pathogenesis of systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis and clinical response to IL-1 blockade. J Exp Med. (2005) 201:147986. 10.1084/jem.20050473

  • 91.

    FallNBarnesMThorntonSLuyrinkLOlsonJIlowiteNTet al. Gene expression profiling of peripheral blood from patients with untreated new-onset systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis reveals molecular heterogeneity that may predict macrophage activation syndrome. Arthritis Rheum. (2007) 56:3793804. 10.1002/art.22981

  • 92.

    MacaubasCNguyenKDeshpandeCPhillipsCPeckALeeTet al. Distribution of circulating cells in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis across disease activity states. Clin Immunol. (2010) 134:20616. 10.1016/j.clim.2009.09.010

  • 93.

    HinzeCHFallNThorntonSMoJQAronowBJLayh-SchmittGet al. Immature cell populations and an erythropoiesis gene-expression signature in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: implications for pathogenesis. Arthritis Res Ther. (2010) 12:R123. 10.1186/ar3061

  • 94.

    BrownRAHenderlightMDoTYasinSGromAADeLayMet al. Neutrophils from children with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis exhibit persistent proinflammatory activation despite long-standing clinically inactive disease. Front Immunol. (2018) 9:2995. 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02995

  • 95.

    VilaiyukSLerkvaleekulBSoponkanapornSSetthaudomCBuranapraditkunS. Correlations between serum interleukin 6, serum soluble interleukin 6 receptor, and disease activity in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients treated with or without tocilizumab. Cent Eur J Immunol. (2019) 44:1508. 10.5114/ceji.2019.87066

  • 96.

    HolzingerDTenbrockKRothJ. Alarmins of the S100-family in juvenile autoimmune and auto-inflammatory diseases. Front Immunol. (2019) 10:182. 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00182

  • 97.

    YasinSFallNBrownRAHenderlightMCannaSWGirard-Guyonvarc'hCet al. IL-18 as a biomarker linking systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and macrophage activation syndrome. Rheumatology. (2020) 59:3616. 10.1093/rheumatology/kez282

  • 98.

    AljaberiNTronconiESchulertGGromAALovellDJHugginsJLet al. The use of S100 proteins testing in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and autoinflammatory diseases in a pediatric clinical setting: a retrospective analysis. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2020) 18:7. 10.1186/s12969-020-0398-2

  • 99.

    SpellingPBonfáECaparboVFPereiraRMR. Osteoprotegerin/RANKL system imbalance in active polyarticular-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a bone damage biomarker?Scand J Rheumatol. (2008) 37:43944. 10.1080/03009740802116224

  • 100.

    PradsgaardSpannowAHHeuckCHerlinT. Decreased cartilage thickness in juvenile idiopathic arthritis assessed by ultrasonography. J Rheumatol. (2013) 40:1596603. 10.3899/jrheum.121077

  • 101.

    SwidrowskaJSmolewskiPStańczykJSmolewskaE. Serum angiogenesis markers and their correlation with ultrasound-detected synovitis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. J Immunol Res. (2015) 2015:741457. 10.1155/2015/741457

  • 102.

    Ventura-Ríos L Faugier E Barzola L De la Cruz-Becerra LB Sánchez-Bringas G García AR Reliability Reliability of ultrasonography to detect inflammatory lesions and structural damage in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2018) 16:58. 10.1186/s12969-018-0275-4

  • 103.

    Swidrowska-JarosJSmolewskaE. A fresh look at angiogenesis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Cent Eur J Immunol. (2018) 43:32530. 10.5114/ceji.2018.80052

  • 104.

    MitraSSamuiPPSamantaMMondalRKHazraAMandalKet al. Ultrasound detected changes in joint cartilage thickness in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Int J Rheum Dis. (2019) 22:126370. 10.1111/1756-185X.13584

  • 105.

    MichalskiEOstrowskaMGietkaPSudoł-SzopińskaI. Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee joint in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Reumatologia. (2020) 58:41623. 10.5114/reum.2020.102007

  • 106.

    StruglicsASalehRSundbergEOlssonMErlandsson HarrisHAulinC. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients have a distinct cartilage and bone biomarker profile that differs from healthy and knee-injured children. Clin Exp Rheumatol. (2020) 38:35565.

  • 107.

    WojdasMDabkowskaKWinsz-SzczotkaK. Alterations of extracellular matrix components in the course of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Metabolites. (2021) 11:132. 10.3390/metabo11030132

  • 108.

    SzerWSierakowskaHSzerIS. Antinuclear antibody profile in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. (1991) 18:4018.

  • 109.

    van RossumMvan SoesbergenRde KortSten CateRZwindermanAHde JongBet al. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. J Rheumatol. (2003) 30:8258.

  • 110.

    RavelliAFeliciEMagni-ManzoniSPistorioANovariniCBozzolaEet al. Patients with antinuclear antibody-positive juvenile idiopathic arthritis constitute a homogeneous subgroup irrespective of the course of joint disease. Arthritis Rheum. (2005) 52:82632. 10.1002/art.20945

  • 111.

    SyedRHGilliamBEMooreTL. Rheumatoid factors and anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies in pediatric rheumatology. Curr Rheumatol Rep. (2008) 10:15663. 10.1007/s11926-008-0027-4

  • 112.

    OmarAAbo-ElyounIHusseinHNabihMAtwaHGadSet al. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA): correlations with disease activity and severity of joint damage (a multicenter trial). Joint Bone Spine. (2013) 80:3843. 10.1016/j.jbspin.2012.03.008

  • 113.

    BerntsonLNordalEFasthAAaltoKHerlinTNielsenSet al. Anti-type II collagen antibodies, anti-CCP, IgA RF and IgM RF are associated with joint damage, assessed eight years after onset of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2014) 12:22. 10.1186/1546-0096-12-22

  • 114.

    HamoodaMFouadHGalalNSewelamNMegahedD. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Electron Physician. (2016) 8:2897903. 10.19082/2897

  • 115.

    SurLMFlocaESurDGColceriuMCSamascaGSurG. Antinuclear antibodies: marker of diagnosis and evolution in autoimmune diseases. Lab Med. (2018) 49:e6273. 10.1093/labmed/lmy024

  • 116.

    AltintasAOzelAOkurNOkurNCilTPasaSet al. Prevalence and clinical significance of elevated antinuclear antibody test in children and adult patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. J Thromb Thrombolysis. (2007) 24:1638. 10.1007/s11239-007-0031-y

  • 117.

    Barahona-GarridoJCamacho-EscobedoJGarcía-MartínezCITocayHCabiedesJYamamoto-FurushoJK. Antinuclear antibodies: a marker associated with steroid dependence in patients with ulcerative colitis. Inflamm Bowel Dis. (2009) 15:103943. 10.1002/ibd.20852

  • 118.

    RadicMHerrmannMvan der VlagJRekvigOP. Regulatory and pathogenetic mechanisms of autoantibodies in SLE. Autoimmunity. (2011) 44:34956. 10.3109/08916934.2010.536794

  • 119.

    Campanilho-MarquesRBogasMRamosFSantosMJFonsecaJE. Prognostic value of antinuclear antibodies in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and anterior uveitis. Results from a systematic literature review. Acta Reumatol Port. (2014) 39:11622.

  • 120.

    SegniMPucarelliITrugliaSTurrizianiISerafinelliCContiF. High prevalence of antinuclear antibodies in children with thyroid autoimmunity. J Immunol Res. (2014) 2014:150239. 10.1155/2014/150239

  • 121.

    MaślińskaMMańczakMWojciechowskaBKwiatkowskaB. The prevalence of ANA antibodies, anticentromere antibodies, and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome compared to patients with dryness symptoms without primary Sjögren's syndrome confirmation. Reumatologia. (2017) 55:1139. 10.5114/reum.2017.68909

  • 122.

    AhsanTErumUDahaniAKhowajaD. Clinical and immunological profile in patients with mixed connective tissue disease. J Pak Med Assoc. (2018) 68:95962.

  • 123.

    ChaHJHwangJLeeLEParkYSongJJ. The significance of cytoplasmic antinuclear antibody patterns in autoimmune liver disease. PLoS ONE. (2021) 16:e0244950. 10.1371/journal.pone.0244950

  • 124.

    PaknikarSSCrowsonCSDavisJMThanarajasingamU. Exploring the role of antinuclear antibody positivity in the diagnosis, treatment, and health outcomes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. ACR Open Rheumatol. (2021) 3:4226. 10.1002/acr2.11271

  • 125.

    SharmaABhattaraiDGuptaAGuleriaSRawatAVigneshPet al. Autoantibody profile of children with juvenile dermatomyositis. Indian J Pediatr. (2021) 88:11703. 10.1007/s12098-021-03680-1

  • 126.

    GlerupMHerlinTTwiltM. Remission rate is not dependent on the presence of antinuclear antibodies in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Clin Rheumatol. (2017) 36:6716. 10.1007/s10067-017-3540-x

  • 127.

    GuillaumeSPrieurAMCosteJJob-DeslandreC. Long-term outcome and prognosis in oligoarticular-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. (2000) 43:185865. 10.1002/1529-0131(200008)43:8<1858::AID-ANR23>3.0.CO;2-A

  • 128.

    SaurenmannRKLevinAVFeldmanBMLaxerRMSchneiderRSilvermanED. Risk factors for development of uveitis differ between girls and boys with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. (2010) 62:18248. 10.1002/art.27416

  • 129.

    RoseHMRaganC. Differential agglutination of normal and sensitized sheep erythrocytes by sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. (1948) 68:16. 10.3181/00379727-68-16375

  • 130.

    WaalerE. On the occurrence of a factor in human serum activating the specific agglutintion of sheep blood corpuscles. APMIS. (2007) 115:42238. 10.1111/j.1600-0463.2007.apm_682a.x

  • 131.

    AletahaDNeogiTSilmanAJFunovitsJFelsonDTBinghamCOet al. 2010 rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria: an American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism collaborative initiative. Arthritis Rheum. (2010) 62:256981. 10.1002/art.27584

  • 132.

    SoltysAIAxfordJSSuttonBJ. Rheumatoid factors: where are we now?Ann Rheum Dis. (1997) 56:2856. 10.1136/ard.56.5.285

  • 133.

    IngegnoliFCastelliRGualtierottiR. Rheumatoid factors: clinical applications. Dis Markers. (2013) 35:72734. 10.1155/2013/726598

  • 134.

    ToumbisAFranklinECMcEWENCKuttnerAG. Clinical and serologic observations in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and their relatives. J Pediatr. (1963) 62:46373. 10.1016/S0022-3476(63)80001-3

  • 135.

    EichenfieldAHAthreyaBHDoughtyRACebulRD. Utility of rheumatoid factor in the diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Pediatrics. (1986) 78:4804. 10.1542/peds.78.3.480

  • 136.

    FantiniFGerloniVGattinaraMCimazRArnoldiCLupiE. Remission in juvenile chronic arthritis: a cohort study of 683 consecutive cases with a mean 10 year followup. J Rheumatol. (2003) 30:57984.

  • 137.

    FlatøBLienGSmerdelAVinjeODaleKJohnstonVet al. Prognostic factors in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: a case-control study revealing early predictors and outcome after 149 years. J Rheumatol. (2003) 30:38693.

  • 138.

    GilliamBEChauhanAKLowJMMooreTL. Measurement of biomarkers in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients and their significant association with disease severity: a comparative study. Clin Exp Rheumatol. (2008) 26:4927.

  • 139.

    HinksAMarionMCCobbJComeauMESudmanMAinsworthHCet al. Brief report: the genetic profile of rheumatoid factor-positive polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis resembles that of adult rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2018) 70:95762. 10.1002/art.40443

  • 140.

    OnuoraS. Genetics: subtype of JIA is genetically similar to adult RA. Nat Rev Rheumatol. (2018) 14:181. 10.1038/nrrheum.2018.30

  • 141.

    CarsonDAChenPPKippsTJ. New roles for rheumatoid factor. J Clin Invest. (1991) 87:37983. 10.1172/JCI115007

  • 142.

    BørretzenMChapmanCNatvigJBThompsonKM. Differences in mutational patterns between rheumatoid factors in health and disease are related to variable heavy chain family and germ-line gene usage. Eur J Immunol. (1997) 27:73541. 10.1002/eji.1830270323

  • 143.

    LeadbetterEARifkinIRHohlbaumAMBeaudetteBCShlomchikMJMarshak-RothsteinA. Chromatin-IgG complexes activate B cells by dual engagement of IgM and Toll-like receptors. Nature. (2002) 416:6037. 10.1038/416603a

  • 144.

    DerksenVFaMHuizingaTWJvan der WoudeD. The role of autoantibodies in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis. Semin Immunopathol. (2017) 39:43746. 10.1007/s00281-017-0627-z

  • 145.

    van DelftMAMHuizingaTWJ. An overview of autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis. J Autoimmun. (2020) 110:102392. 10.1016/j.jaut.2019.102392

  • 146.

    BrunnerJSitzmannFC. The diagnostic value of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies in children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. (2006) 24:44951.

  • 147.

    WangYPeiFWangXSunZHuCDouH. Meta-analysis: diagnostic accuracy of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody for juvenile idiopathic arthritis. J Immunol Res. (2015) 2015:915276. 10.1155/2015/915276

  • 148.

    PeckhamHCambridgeGBourkeLSenDRadziszewskaALeandroMet al. Antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and patients with rheumatoid arthritis: shared expression of the inherently autoreactive 9G4 idiotype. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2017) 69:138795. 10.1002/art.40117

  • 149.

    CambridgeGMouraRASantosTKhawajaAAPolido-PereiraJCanhãoHet al. Expression of the inherently autoreactive idiotope 9G4 on autoantibodies to citrullinated peptides and on rheumatoid factors in patients with early and established rheumatoid arthritis. PLoS ONE. (2014) 9:e107513. 10.1371/journal.pone.0107513

  • 150.

    SpârchezMMiuNBolbaCIancuMSpârchezZRednicS. Evaluation of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies may be beneficial in RF-negative juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients. Clin Rheumatol. (2016) 35:6017. 10.1007/s10067-015-2971-5

  • 151.

    SelvaagAMKirkhusETörnqvistLLillebyVAulieHAFlatøB. Radiographic damage in hands and wrists of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis after 29 years of disease duration. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2017) 15:20. 10.1186/s12969-017-0151-7

  • 152.

    ValesiniGGerardiMCIannuccelliCPacucciVAPendolinoMShoenfeldY. Citrullination and autoimmunity. Autoimmun Rev. (2015) 14:4907. 10.1016/j.autrev.2015.01.013

  • 153.

    AlghamdiMAlasmariDAssiriAMattarEAljaddawiAAAlattasSGet al. An overview of the intrinsic role of citrullination in autoimmune disorders. J Immunol Res. (2019) 2019:7592851. 10.1155/2019/7592851

  • 154.

    GilliamBEReedMRChauhanAKDehlendorfABMooreTL. Significance of complement components C1q and C4 bound to circulating immune complexes in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: support for classical complement pathway activation. Clin Exp Rheumatol. (2011) 29:104956.

  • 155.

    MooreTL. Immune complexes in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Front Immunol. (2016) 7:177. 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00177

  • 156.

    Souto-CarneiroMMMahadevanVTakadaKFritsch-StorkRNankiTBrownMet al. Alterations in peripheral blood memory B cells in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis are dependent on the action of tumour necrosis factor. Arthritis Res Ther. (2009) 11:R84. 10.1186/ar2718

  • 157.

    MouraRAWeinmannPPereiraPACaetano-LopesJCanhãoHSousaEet al. Alterations on peripheral blood B-cell subpopulations in very early arthritis patients. Rheumatology. (2010) 49:108292. 10.1093/rheumatology/keq029

  • 158.

    CascãoRMouraRAPerpétuoICanhãoHVieira-SousaEMourãoAFet al. Identification of a cytokine network sustaining neutrophil and Th17 activation in untreated early rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. (2010) 12:R196. 10.1186/ar3168

  • 159.

    MouraRACascãoRPerpétuoICanhãoHVieira-SousaEMourãoAFet al. Cytokine pattern in very early rheumatoid arthritis favours B-cell activation and survival. Rheumatology. (2011) 50:27882. 10.1093/rheumatology/keq338

  • 160.

    MouraRAGracaLFonsecaJE. To B or not to B the conductor of rheumatoid arthritis orchestra. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. (2012) 43:28191. 10.1007/s12016-012-8318-y

  • 161.

    MouraRACanhãoHPolido-PereiraJRodriguesAMNavalhoMMourãoAFet al. BAFF and TACI gene expression are increased in patients with untreated very early rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. (2013) 40:1293302. 10.3899/jrheum.121110

  • 162.

    MouraRAQuaresmaCVieiraARGonçalvesMJPolido-PereiraJRomãoVCet al. B-cell phenotype and IgD-CD27- memory B cells are affected by TNF-inhibitors and tocilizumab treatment in rheumatoid arthritis. PLoS ONE. (2017) 12:e0182927. 10.1371/journal.pone.0182927

  • 163.

    Amaral-SilvaDGonçalvesRTorrãoRCTorresRFalcãoSGonçalvesMJet al. Direct tissue-sensing reprograms TLR4+ Tfh-like cells inflammatory profile in the joints of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Commun Biol. (2021) 4:1135. 10.1038/s42003-021-02659-0

  • 164.

    ZhouSLuHXiongM. Identifying immune cell infiltration and effective diagnostic biomarkers in rheumatoid arthritis by bioinformatics analysis. Front Immunol. (2021) 12:726747. 10.3389/fimmu.2021.726747

  • 165.

    WuXLiuYJinSWangMJiaoYYangBet al. Single-cell sequencing of immune cells from anticitrullinated peptide antibody positive and negative rheumatoid arthritis. Nat Commun. (2021) 12:4977. 10.1038/s41467-021-25246-7

  • 166.

    TuJHuangWZhangWMeiJZhuC. A tale of two immune cells in rheumatoid arthritis: the crosstalk between macrophages and T cells in the synovium. Front Immunol. (2021) 12:655477. 10.3389/fimmu.2021.655477

  • 167.

    YeoLToellnerK-MSalmonMFilerABuckleyCDRazaKet al. Cytokine mRNA profiling identifies B cells as a major source of RANKL in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. (2011) 70:20228. 10.1136/ard.2011.153312

  • 168.

    Armas-GonzálezEDíaz-MartínADomínguez-LuisMJArce-FrancoMTHerrera-GarcíaAHernández-HernándezMVet al. Differential antigen-presenting B cell phenotypes from synovial microenvironment of patients with rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. J Rheumatol. (2015) 42:182534. 10.3899/jrheum.141577

  • 169.

    MeednuNZhangHOwenTSunWWangVCistroneCet al. Production of RANKL by memory B cells: a link between B cells and bone erosion in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2016) 68:80516. 10.1002/art.39489

  • 170.

    FischerJDirksJHaaseGHoll-WiedenAHofmannCGirschickHet al. IL-21+ CD4+ T helper cells co-expressing IFN-γ and TNF-α accumulate in the joints of antinuclear antibody positive patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Clin Immunol. (2020) 217:108484. 10.1016/j.clim.2020.108484

  • 171.

    DirksJFischerJHaaseGHoll-WiedenAHofmannCGirschickHet al. CD21lo/-CD27-IgM- double-negative B cells accumulate in the joints of patients with antinuclear antibody-positive juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Front Pediatr. (2021) 9:635815. 10.3389/fped.2021.635815

  • 172.

    FischerJDirksJKlaussnerJHaaseGHoll-WiedenAHofmannCet al. Effect of clonally expanded PD-1high CXCR5-CD4+ peripheral T helper cells on B cell differentiation in the joints of patients with antinuclear antibody-positive juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2022) 74:15062. 10.1002/art.41913

  • 173.

    KruithofEVan den BosscheVDe RyckeLVandoorenBJoosRCañeteJDet al. Distinct synovial immunopathologic characteristics of juvenile-onset spondylarthritis and other forms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. (2006) 54:2594604. 10.1002/art.22024

  • 174.

    Kalinina AyusoVvan DijkMRde BoerJH. Infiltration of plasma cells in the iris of children with ANA-positive anterior uveitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. (2015) 56:67708. 10.1167/iovs.15-17351

  • 175.

    WildschützLAckermannDWittenAKasperMBuschMGlanderSet al. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of iris tissue and aqueous humor in juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis. J Autoimmun. (2019) 100:7583. 10.1016/j.jaut.2019.03.004

  • 176.

    LicciardiFCeciMToppinoCTurcoMMartinoSRicottiEet al. Low synovial double negative T and γδ T cells predict longer free-disease survival in oligoarticular JIA. Cytometry B Clin Cytom. (2018) 94:4237. 10.1002/cyto.b.21597

  • 177.

    MarascoEAquilaniACascioliSMonetaGMCaielloIFarroniCet al. Switched memory B cells are increased in oligoarticular and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis and their change over time is related to response to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2018) 70:60615. 10.1002/art.40410

  • 178.

    ZhaoQJungLK. Frequency of CD19+CD24hiCD38hi regulatory B cells is decreased in peripheral blood and synovial fluid of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a preliminary study. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2018) 16:44. 10.1186/s12969-018-0262-9

  • 179.

    NagyAMosdosiBSimonDDergezTBerkiT. Peripheral blood lymphocyte analysis in oligo- and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients receiving methotrexate or adalimumab therapy: a cross-sectional study. Front Pediatr. (2020) 8:614354. 10.3389/fped.2020.614354

  • 180.

    VerninoLAPisetskyDSLipskyPE. Analysis of the expression of CD5 by human B cells and correlation with functional activity. Cell Immunol. (1992) 139:18597. 10.1016/0008-8749(92)90111-2

  • 181.

    PersJOJaminCPredine-HugFLydyardPYouinouP. The role of CD5-expressing B cells in health and disease (review). Int J Mol Med. (1999) 3:23945. 10.3892/ijmm.3.3.239

  • 182.

    LeeJKuchenSFischerRChangSLipskyPE. Identification and characterization of a human CD5+ pre-naive B cell population. J Immunol. (2009) 182:411626. 10.4049/jimmunol.0803391

  • 183.

    Flores-BorjaFBosmaANgDReddyVEhrensteinMRIsenbergDAet al. CD19+CD24hiCD38hi B cells maintain regulatory T cells while limiting TH1 and TH17 differentiation. Sci Transl Med. (2013) 5:173ra23. 10.1126/scitranslmed.3005407

  • 184.

    SimonQPersJ-OCornecDLe PottierLMageedRAHillionS. In-depth characterization of CD24(high)CD38(high) transitional human B cells reveals different regulatory profiles. J Allergy Clin Immunol. (2016) 137:157784.e10. 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.09.014

  • 185.

    Nova-LampertiEFanelliGBeckerPDChanaPElguetaRDoddPCet al. IL-10-produced by human transitional B-cells down-regulates CD86 expression on B-cells leading to inhibition of CD4+T-cell responses. Sci Rep. (2016) 6:20044. 10.1038/srep20044

  • 186.

    HasanMMThompson-SnipesLKlintmalmGDemetrisAJO'LearyJOhSet al. CD24hiCD38hi and CD24hiCD27+ human regulatory B cells display common and distinct functional characteristics. J Immunol. (2019) 203:211020. 10.4049/jimmunol.1900488

  • 187.

    TaherTEOngVHBystromJHillionSSimonQDentonCPet al. Association of defective regulation of autoreactive interleukin-6-producing transitional B lymphocytes with disease in patients with systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2018) 70:45061. 10.1002/art.40390

  • 188.

    PiperCJMWilkinsonMGLDeakinCTOttoGWDowleSDuurlandCLet al. CD19+CD24hiCD38hi B cells are expanded in juvenile dermatomyositis and exhibit a pro-inflammatory phenotype after activation through toll-like receptor 7 and interferon-α. Front Immunol. (2018) 9:1372. 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01372

  • 189.

    LiuMGuoQWuCSterlinDGoswamiSZhangYet al. Type I interferons promote the survival and proinflammatory properties of transitional B cells in systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Cell Mol Immunol. (2019) 16:36779. 10.1038/s41423-018-0010-6

  • 190.

    KalampokisIVenturiGMPoeJCDvergstenJASleasmanJWTedderTF. The regulatory B cell compartment expands transiently during childhood and is contracted in children with autoimmunity. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2017) 69:22538. 10.1002/art.39820

  • 191.

    BlairPANoreñaLYFlores-BorjaFRawlingsDJIsenbergDAEhrensteinMRet al. CD19(+)CD24(hi)CD38(hi) B cells exhibit regulatory capacity in healthy individuals but are functionally impaired in systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients. Immunity. (2010) 32:12940. 10.1016/j.immuni.2009.11.009

  • 192.

    AybarLTMcGregorJGHoganSLHuYMendozaCEBrantEJet al. Reduced CD5(+) CD24(hi) CD38(hi) and interleukin-10(+) regulatory B cells in active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis permit increased circulating autoantibodies. Clin Exp Immunol. (2015) 180:17888. 10.1111/cei.12483

  • 193.

    WangXZhuYZhangMWangHJiangYGaoP. Ulcerative colitis is characterized by a decrease in regulatory B cells. J Crohns Colitis. (2016) 10:121223. 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjw074

  • 194.

    HeinemannKWildeBHoerningATebbeBKribbenAWitzkeOet al. Decreased IL-10(+) regulatory B cells (Bregs) in lupus nephritis patients. Scand J Rheumatol. (2016) 45:3126. 10.3109/03009742.2015.1126346

  • 195.

    ChenQLaiLChiXLuXWuHSunJet al. CD19+CD24hiCD38hi B cell dysfunction in primary biliary cholangitis. Mediators Inflamm. (2020) 2020:3019378. 10.1155/2020/3019378

  • 196.

    MadsonKLMooreTLLawrenceJMOsbornTG. Cytokine levels in serum and synovial fluid of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. (1994) 21:235963.

  • 197.

    de JagerWHoppenreijsEPAHWulffraatNMWedderburnLRKuisWPrakkenBJ. Blood and synovial fluid cytokine signatures in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a cross-sectional study. Ann Rheum Dis. (2007) 66:58998. 10.1136/ard.2006.061853

  • 198.

    van den HamH-Jde JagerWBijlsmaJWJPrakkenBJde BoerRJ. Differential cytokine profiles in juvenile idiopathic arthritis subtypes revealed by cluster analysis. Rheumatology. (2009) 48:899905. 10.1093/rheumatology/kep125

  • 199.

    GheitaTABassyouniIHEmadYel-DinAMNAbdel-RasheedEHusseinH. Elevated BAFF (BLyS) and APRIL in Juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients: relation to clinical manifestations and disease activity. Joint Bone Spine. (2012) 79:28590. 10.1016/j.jbspin.2011.05.020

  • 200.

    WaltersHMPanNLehmanTJAAdamsAKallioliasGDZhuYSet al. The impact of disease activity and tumour necrosis factor-α inhibitor therapy on cytokine levels in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Clin Exp Immunol. (2016) 184:30817. 10.1111/cei.12782

  • 201.

    FunkRSChanMABeckerML. Cytokine biomarkers of disease activity and therapeutic response after initiating methotrexate therapy in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Pharmacotherapy. (2017) 37:70011. 10.1002/phar.1938

  • 202.

    HongSDReiffAYangH-TMigoneT-SWardCDMarzanKet al. B lymphocyte stimulator expression in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus and juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients. Arthritis Rheum. (2009) 60:34009. 10.1002/art.24902

  • 203.

    OtaYNiiroHOtaS-IUekiNTsuzukiHNakayamaTet al. Generation mechanism of RANKL(+) effector memory B cells: relevance to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. (2016) 18:67. 10.1186/s13075-016-0957-6

  • 204.

    SarmaPKMisraRAggarwalA. Elevated serum receptor activator of NFkappaB ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)3, and ProMMP1 in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Clin Rheumatol. (2008) 27:28994. 10.1007/s10067-007-0701-3

  • 205.

    AgarwalSMisraRAggarwalA. Synovial fluid RANKL and matrix metalloproteinase levels in enthesitis related arthritis subtype of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatol Int. (2009) 29:90711. 10.1007/s00296-008-0805-3

  • 206.

    LienGUelandTGodangKSelvaagAMFørreOTFlatøB. Serum levels of osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor -κB ligand in children with early juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a 2-year prospective controlled study. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2010) 8:30. 10.1186/1546-0096-8-30

  • 207.

    HarrisJGKesslerEAVerbskyJW. Update on the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. (2013) 13:33746. 10.1007/s11882-013-0351-2

  • 208.

    BlazinaŠMarkeljGAvramovičMZToplakNAvčinT. Management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a clinical guide. Paediatr Drugs. (2016) 18:397412. 10.1007/s40272-016-0186-0

  • 209.

    VanoniFMinoiaFMalattiaC. Biologics in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a narrative review. Eur J Pediatr. (2017) 176:114753. 10.1007/s00431-017-2960-6

  • 210.

    CimazRMarinoAMartiniA. How I treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a state of the art review. Autoimmun Rev. (2017) 16:100815. 10.1016/j.autrev.2017.07.014

  • 211.

    Nieto-GonzálezJCMonteagudoI. Intra-articular joint injections in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: state of the art. Reumatol Clin. (2019) 15:6972. 10.1016/j.reumae.2018.07.003

  • 212.

    FiloscoFGiallongoALeonardiSTomaselliVBaroneP. Early intra-articular corticosteroid injection is predictors of remission of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Minerva Pediatr. (2021). [Epub ahead of print]. 10.23736/S2724-5276.21.06343-6

  • 213.

    KimuraYFieldstonEDevries-VandervlugtBLiSImundoL. High dose, alternate day corticosteroids for systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. (2000) 27:201824.

  • 214.

    RingoldSWeissPFBeukelmanTDeWittEMIlowiteNTKimuraYet al. 2013 update of the 2011 American College of Rheumatology recommendations for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: recommendations for the medical therapy of children with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and tuberculosis screening among children receiving biologic medications. Arthritis Rheum. (2013) 65:2499512. 10.1002/art.38092

  • 215.

    BatuED. Glucocorticoid treatment in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatol Int. (2019) 39:1327. 10.1007/s00296-018-4168-0

  • 216.

    van RossumMAJvan SoesbergenRMBoersMZwindermanAHFiselierTJWFranssenMJAMet al. Long-term outcome of juvenile idiopathic arthritis following a placebo-controlled trial: sustained benefits of early sulfasalazine treatment. Ann Rheum Dis. (2007) 66:151824. 10.1136/ard.2006.064717

  • 217.

    FerraraGMastrangeloGBaronePLa TorreFMartinoSPappagalloGet al. Methotrexate in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: advice and recommendations from the MARAJIA expert consensus meeting. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2018) 16:46. 10.1186/s12969-018-0255-8

  • 218.

    AyazNAKaradagSGÇakmakFÇakanMTanatarASönmezHE. Leflunomide treatment in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatol Int. (2019) 39:16159. 10.1007/s00296-019-04385-7

  • 219.

    LovellDJGianniniEHReiffACawkwellGDSilvermanEDNoctonJJet al. Etanercept in children with polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group. N Engl J Med. (2000) 342:7639. 10.1056/NEJM200003163421103

  • 220.

    LovellDJRupertoNGoodmanSReiffAJungLJarosovaKet al. Adalimumab with or without methotrexate in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. N Engl J Med. (2008) 359:81020. 10.1056/NEJMoa0706290

  • 221.

    HorneffGEbertAFitterSMindenKFoeldvariIKümmerle-DeschnerJet al. Safety and efficacy of once weekly etanercept 08 mg/kg in a multicentre 12 week trial in active polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatology. (2009) 48:9169. 10.1093/rheumatology/kep122

  • 222.

    RupertoNLovellDJCutticaRWooPMeiorinSWoutersCet al. Long-term efficacy and safety of infliximab plus methotrexate for the treatment of polyarticular-course juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: findings from an open-label treatment extension. Ann Rheum Dis. (2010) 69:71822. 10.1136/ard.2009.100354

  • 223.

    BrunnerHIRupertoNTzaribachevNHorneffGChasnykVGPanavieneVet al. Subcutaneous golimumab for children with active polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis: results of a multicentre, double-blind, randomised-withdrawal trial. Ann Rheum Dis. (2018) 77:219. 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-210456

  • 224.

    RupertoNLovellDJQuartierPPazERubio-PérezNSilvaCAet al. Long-term safety and efficacy of abatacept in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. (2010) 62:1792802. 10.1002/art.27431

  • 225.

    LovellDJRupertoNMouyRPazERubio-PérezNSilvaCAet al. Long-term safety, efficacy, and quality of life in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with intravenous abatacept for up to seven years. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2015) 67:275970. 10.1002/art.39234

  • 226.

    Calvo-RíoVSantos-GómezMCalvoIGonzález-FernándezMILópez-MontesinosBMesquidaMet al. Anti-interleukin-6 receptor tocilizumab for severe juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis refractory to anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy: a multicenter study of twenty-five patients. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2017) 69:66875. 10.1002/art.39940

  • 227.

    RamananAVDickADGulyCMcKayAJonesAPHardwickBet al. Tocilizumab in patients with anti-TNF refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (APTITUDE): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial. Lancet Rheumatol. (2020) 2:e13541. 10.1016/S2665-9913(20)30008-4

  • 228.

    MalekiAManhapraAAsgariSChangPYFosterCSAnesiSD. Tocilizumab employment in the treatment of resistant juvenile idiopathic arthritis associated uveitis. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. (2021) 29:1420. 10.1080/09273948.2020.1817501

  • 229.

    RupertoNBrunnerHIQuartierPConstantinTWulffraatNHorneffGet al. Two randomized trials of canakinumab in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. N Engl J Med. (2012) 367:2396406. 10.1056/NEJMoa1205099

  • 230.

    RupertoNBrunnerHIQuartierPConstantinTWulffraatNMHorneffGet al. Canakinumab in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and active systemic features: results from the 5-year long-term extension of the phase III pivotal trials. Ann Rheum Dis. (2018) 77:17109. 10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-213150

  • 231.

    BrunnerHIQuartierPAlexeevaEConstantinTKoné-PautIMarzanKet al. Efficacy and safety of canakinumab in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis with and without fever at baseline: results from an open-label, active-treatment extension study. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2020) 72:214758. 10.1002/art.41436

  • 232.

    NigrovicPAMannionMPrinceFHMZeftARabinovichCEvan RossumMAJet al. Anakinra as first-line disease-modifying therapy in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: report of forty-six patients from an international multicenter series. Arthritis Rheum. (2011) 63:54555. 10.1002/art.30128

  • 233.

    QuartierPAllantazFCimazRPilletPMessiaenCBardinCet al. A multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist anakinra in patients with systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (ANAJIS trial). Ann Rheum Dis. (2011) 70:74754. 10.1136/ard.2010.134254

  • 234.

    LovellDJGianniniEHReiffAOKimuraYLiSHashkesPJet al. Long-term safety and efficacy of rilonacept in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. (2013) 65:248696. 10.1002/art.38042

  • 235.

    IlowiteNTPratherKLokhnyginaYSchanbergLEElderMMilojevicDet al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the efficacy and safety of rilonacept in the treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. (2014) 66:25709. 10.1002/art.38699

  • 236.

    HuangZLeePYYaoXZhengSLiT. Tofacitinib treatment of refractory systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Pediatrics. (2019) 143:e20182845. 10.1542/peds.2018-2845

  • 237.

    MiserocchiEGiuffrèCCornalbaMPontikakiICimazR. JAK inhibitors in refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis. Clin Rheumatol. (2020) 39:84751. 10.1007/s10067-019-04875-w

  • 238.

    RupertoNBrunnerHISynoverskaOTingTVMendozaCASpindlerAet al. Tofacitinib in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, withdrawal phase 3 randomised trial. Lancet. (2021) 398:198496. 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01255-1

  • 239.

    RamananAVGulyCMKellerSYSchlichtingDEde BonoSLiaoRet al. Clinical effectiveness and safety of baricitinib for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis or chronic anterior antinuclear antibody-positive uveitis: study protocol for an open-label, adalimumab active-controlled phase 3 clinical trial (JUVE-BRIGHT). Trials. (2021) 22:689. 10.1186/s13063-021-05651-5

  • 240.

    WelzelTWinskillCZhangNWoernerAPfisterM. Biologic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs and Janus kinase inhibitors in paediatric rheumatology—what we know and what we do not know from randomized controlled trials. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2021) 19:46. 10.1186/s12969-021-00514-4

  • 241.

    MindenK. Adult outcomes of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Horm Res. (2009) 72(Suppl.1):205. 10.1159/000229759

  • 242.

    SelvaagAMAulieHALillebyVFlatøB. Disease progression into adulthood and predictors of long-term active disease in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. (2016) 75:1905. 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-206034

  • 243.

    EdwardsJCWSzczepanskiLSzechinskiJFilipowicz-SosnowskaAEmeryPCloseDRet al. Efficacy of B-cell-targeted therapy with rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. N Engl J Med. (2004) 350:257281. 10.1056/NEJMoa032534

  • 244.

    EmeryPFleischmannRFilipowicz-SosnowskaASchechtmanJSzczepanskiLKavanaughAet al. The efficacy and safety of rituximab in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate treatment: results of a phase IIB randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trial. Arthritis Rheum. (2006) 54:1390400. 10.1002/art.21778

  • 245.

    KuekAHazlemanBLGastonJHOstörAJK. Successful treatment of refractory polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis with rituximab. Rheumatology. (2006) 45:14489. 10.1093/rheumatology/kel301

  • 246.

    NarváezJDíaz-TornéCJuanolaXGeliCLlobetJMNollaJMet al. Rituximab therapy for refractory systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. (2009) 68:6078. 10.1136/ard.2008.092106

  • 247.

    FeitoJGPeredaCA. Rituximab therapy produced rapid and sustained clinical improvement in a patient with systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis refractory to TNF alpha antagonists. J Clin Rheumatol. (2009) 15:3635. 10.1097/RHU.0b013e3181ba3c6f

  • 248.

    AlexeevaEIValievaSIBzarovaTMSemikinaELIsaevaKBLisitsynAOet al. Efficacy and safety of repeat courses of rituximab treatment in patients with severe refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Clin Rheumatol. (2011) 30:116372. 10.1007/s10067-011-1720-7

  • 249.

    JanssonAFSenglerCKuemmerle-DeschnerJGruhnBKranzABLehmannHet al. B cell depletion for autoimmune diseases in paediatric patients. Clin Rheumatol. (2011) 30:8797. 10.1007/s10067-010-1630-0

  • 250.

    StollMLCronRQ. Treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a revolution in care. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. (2014) 12:13. 10.1186/1546-0096-12-13

  • 251.

    SakamotoAPPinheiroMMBarbosaCMPLFragaMMLenCATerreriMT. Rituximab use in young adults diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis unresponsive to conventional treatment: report of 6 cases. Rev Bras Reumatol. (2015) 55:53641. 10.1016/j.rbr.2014.12.015

  • 252.

    ReisJAguiarFBritoI. Anti CD20 (Rituximab) therapy in refractory pediatric rheumatic diseases. Acta Reumatol Port. (2016) 41:4555.

  • 253.

    Kearsley-FleetLSampathSMcCannLJBaildamEBeresfordMWDaviesRet al. Use and effectiveness of rituximab in children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in a cohort study in the United Kingdom. Rheumatology. (2019) 58:3315. 10.1093/rheumatology/key306

  • 254.

    McAteeCLLubegaJUnderbrinkKCurryKMsaouelPBarrowMet al. Association of rituximab use with adverse events in children, adolescents, and young adults. J Am Med Assoc Netw Open. (2021) 4:e2036321. 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.36321

  • 255.

    WennmannMKathemannSKampmannKOhlssonSBüscherAHolzingerDet al. Retrospective analysis of rituximab treatment for B cell depletion in different pediatric indications. Front Pediatr. (2021) 9:651323. 10.3389/fped.2021.651323

Summary

Keywords

juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), B cells, autoantibodies, inflammation, immunopathogenesis

Citation

Moura RA and Fonseca JE (2022) B Cells on the Stage of Inflammation in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Leading or Supporting Actors in Disease Pathogenesis?. Front. Med. 9:851532. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.851532

Received

10 January 2022

Accepted

09 February 2022

Published

04 April 2022

Volume

9 - 2022

Edited by

Tadej Avcin, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia

Reviewed by

Ezgi Deniz Batu, Hacettepe University, Turkey; Achille Marino, Desio Hospital, Italy

Updates

Copyright

*Correspondence: Rita A. Moura

This article was submitted to Rheumatology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Medicine

Disclaimer

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Outline

Figures

Cite article

Copy to clipboard


Export citation file


Share article

Article metrics