Risk markers of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry

Objective: To characterize the epidemiology and clinical course of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIA-U) in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry and explore differences between African American (AA) and non-Hispanic white (NHW) children.

Methods: There were 4983 children with JIA enrolled in the CARRA Registry. Of those, 3967 NHW and AA children were included in this study. Demographic and disease-related data were collected from diagnosis to enrollment. Children with JIA were compared to those with JIA-U. Children with JIA-U were also compared by race.

Results: There were 459/3967 children (11.6%) with JIA-U in our cohort with a mean age (SD) of 11.4 years (± 4.5) at enrollment. Compared to children with JIA, they were younger at arthritis onset, more likely to be female, had < 5 joints involved, had oligoarticular JIA, and were antinuclear antibody (ANA)-positive, rheumatoid factor (RF)-negative, and anticitrullinated protein antibody-negative. Predictors of uveitis development included female sex, early age of arthritis onset, and oligoarticular JIA. Polyarticular RF-positive JIA subtype was protective. Nearly 3% of children with JIA-U were AA. However, of the 220 AA children with JIA, 6% had uveitis; in contrast, 12% of the 3721 NHW children with JIA had uveitis.

Conclusion: In the CARRA registry, the prevalence of JIA-U in AA and NHW children is 11.6%. We confirmed known uveitis risk markers (ANA positivity, younger age at arthritis onset, and oligoarticular JIA). We describe a decreased likelihood of uveitis in AA children and recommend further exploration of race as a risk factor in a larger population of AA children.