Does Takayasu arteritis differ between children and adolescents? Insights from a Russian multicenter cohort
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic large-vessel vasculitis with significant age-related heterogeneity. Global data highlight differences between adult and pediatric TA, as well as among different pediatric age groups. However, the epidemiology and clinical features of childhood-onset TA in the Russian population are largely unknown.
AIM: To characterize the clinical and laboratory features, age-related differences, and long-term outcomes of TA in a Russian pediatric cohort.
METHODS: A retrospective multicenter cohort study included 79 patients aged under 18 years with TA, diagnosed according to EULAR/PRINTO/PRES criteria, from four centers in the Russian Federation. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and instrumental data were collected. Patients were stratified into two age groups according to WHO definitions: Children (aged less than 10 years, n = 25) and adolescents (aged 10 years to 17 years inclusive, n = 54). Disease activity was assessed using ITAS2010 and ITAS.A. Statistical analysis was performed using StatTech v.4.12.2.
RESULTS: The median age at onset was 11.0 (8.0-14.0) years, and the time before diagnosis was 8.0 (2.0-17.5) months; females were 78.5%. The most common clinical manifestations were malaise (84.8%), fever (54.4%), and vascular bruits (54.4%). Children under 10 years had a lower proportion of girls (P = 0.016), lower erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and platelet levels (P < 0.05), ITAS.A scores (8.9 ± 4.3 vs 12.0 ± 4.4, P = 0.005), required more surgical interventions at diagnosis (32% vs 7.4%, P = 0.008) compared to adolescents. At follow-up, 34.4% of patients had persistent vascular imaging activity despite normalized laboratory parameters. Biological drugs were used in 50.6% of patients. Three patients died, all due to postoperative complications.
CONCLUSION: This pioneer Russian cohort study of childhood-onset TA reveals a unique clinical phenotype. Younger children show lower levels of inflammation than adolescents, yet they still require more surgical intervention.
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BibTeX
@article{podzolkova2026does,
title = {{Does Takayasu arteritis differ between children and adolescents? Insights from a Russian multicenter cohort}},
author = {Vera A Podzolkova and Natalia A Geppe and Anastasia A Glazyrina and Sania I Valieva and Ilia S Avrusin and Seda Kh Kurbanova and Svetlana S Vakhlyarskaya and Yulia O Kostina and Valeria T Yudina and Ekaterina A Lagutina and Maria K Osminina and Elena S Zholobova and Nadezhda S Podchernyaeva and Eva P Turginekova and Lyubov S Sorokina and Siuzanna A Davtian and Mikhail M Kostik},
journal = {World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.5409/wjcp.120832},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5409/wjcp.120832},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Does Takayasu arteritis differ between children and adolescents? Insights from a Russian multicenter cohort
AU - Vera A Podzolkova
AU - Natalia A Geppe
AU - Anastasia A Glazyrina
AU - Sania I Valieva
AU - Ilia S Avrusin
AU - Seda Kh Kurbanova
AU - Svetlana S Vakhlyarskaya
AU - Yulia O Kostina
AU - Valeria T Yudina
AU - Ekaterina A Lagutina
AU - Maria K Osminina
AU - Elena S Zholobova
AU - Nadezhda S Podchernyaeva
AU - Eva P Turginekova
AU - Lyubov S Sorokina
AU - Siuzanna A Davtian
AU - Mikhail M Kostik
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics
DO - 10.5409/wjcp.120832
UR - https://doi.org/10.5409/wjcp.120832
AB - BACKGROUND: Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic large-vessel vasculitis with significant age-related heterogeneity. Global data highlight differences between adult and pediatric TA, as well as among different pediatric age groups. However, the epidemiology and clinical features of childhood-onset TA in the Russian population are largely unknown. AIM: To characterize the clinical and laboratory features, age-related differences, and long-term outcomes of TA in a Russian pediatric cohort. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter cohort study included 79 patients aged under 18 years with TA, diagnosed according to EULAR/PRINTO/PRES criteria, from four centers in the Russian Federation. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and instrumental data were collected. Patients were stratified into two age groups according to WHO definitions: Children (aged less than 10 years, n = 25) and adolescents (aged 10 years to 17 years inclusive, n = 54). Disease activity was assessed using ITAS2010 and ITAS.A. Statistical analysis was performed using StatTech v.4.12.2. RESULTS: The median age at onset was 11.0 (8.0-14.0) years, and the time before diagnosis was 8.0 (2.0-17.5) months; females were 78.5%. The most common clinical manifestations were malaise (84.8%), fever (54.4%), and vascular bruits (54.4%). Children under 10 years had a lower proportion of girls (P = 0.016), lower erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and platelet levels (P < 0.05), ITAS.A scores (8.9 ± 4.3 vs 12.0 ± 4.4, P = 0.005), required more surgical interventions at diagnosis (32% vs 7.4%, P = 0.008) compared to adolescents. At follow-up, 34.4% of patients had persistent vascular imaging activity despite normalized laboratory parameters. Biological drugs were used in 50.6% of patients. Three patients died, all due to postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: This pioneer Russian cohort study of childhood-onset TA reveals a unique clinical phenotype. Younger children show lower levels of inflammation than adolescents, yet they still require more surgical intervention.
SN - 2219-2808
ER -