Blood samples were collected from 59 patients diagnosed with JIA in order to determine serum levels of the following markers of bone turnover: Beta-Crosslaps, osteocalcin, bone alkaline phosphatase, osteoprotegerin and receptor activator for nuclear factor kappa-B ligand.
Patients with JIA had significantly higher levels of serum OPG than controls (p = 0.001) and lower levels of RANK-L in comparison with controls (p = 0.0003).