Normal neonatal TREC and KREC levels in early onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Judith A Gudmundsdottir; Sigridur Thorgeirsdottir; Veroniqa Lundbäck; Christina Göngrich; Jenny Lingman Framme; Erik Kindgren; Karin Rydenman; Bjorn Runar Ludviksson; Helga Bjarnadottir; Saga Runarsdottir; Staffan Nilsson; Rolf H Zetterström; Olov Ekwall; Susanne Lindgren

doi:10.1016/j.clim.2023.109277

Normal neonatal TREC and KREC levels in early onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Clin Immunol. 2023 Apr:249:109277. doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2023.109277. Epub 2023 Mar 5.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Children's Medical Center, Landspitali, The National University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland.
² Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
³ Centre for Inherited Metabolic Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; The Department of Pediatrics, Halland Hospital Halmstad, Halmstad, Region Halland, Sweden.
⁵ Division of Pediatrics, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Pediatrics, Skaraborgs Hospital Skövde, Region Västra Götaland, Sweden.
⁶ Department of Immunology, Landspitali, The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
⁷ Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Landspitali, The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
⁸ Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁹ Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
¹⁰ Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: susanne.lindgren@rheuma.gu.se.

PMID: 36878420
DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2023.109277

Abstract

Objective: Dysregulated central tolerance predisposes to autoimmune diseases. Reduced thymic output as well as compromised central B cell tolerance checkpoints have been proposed in the pathogenesis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The aim of this study was to investigate neonatal levels of T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) and kappa-deleting element excision circles (KRECs), as markers of T- and B-cell output at birth, in patients with early onset JIA.

Methods: TRECs and KRECs were quantitated by multiplex qPCR from dried blood spots (DBS), collected 2-5 days after birth, in 156 children with early onset JIA and in 312 matched controls.

Results: When analysed from neonatal dried blood spots, the median TREC level was 78 (IQR 55-113) in JIA cases and 88 (IQR 57-117) copies/well in controls. The median KREC level was 51 (IQR 35-69) and 53 (IQR 35-74) copies/well, in JIA cases and controls, respectively. Stratification by sex and age at disease onset did not reveal any difference in the levels of TRECs and KRECs.

Conclusion: T- and B-cell output at birth, as measured by TREC and KREC levels in neonatal dried blood spots, does not differ in children with early onset JIA compared to controls.

Keywords: Arthritis, juvenile; Autoimmunity; B lymphocytes; Central tolerance; Infant, newborn; T lymphocytes; T-cell receptor.

MeSH terms

Arthritis, Juvenile*
B-Lymphocytes
Child
DNA
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Neonatal Screening
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
T-Lymphocytes*
Thymus Gland

Substances

DNA
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell