Clinical response to etanercept in polyarticular course juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate safety and clinical response to treatment with etanercept in the polyarticular course of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).


METHODS
Ten patients were studied (8 female, 2 male; 6 polyarticular JRA, 4 systemic onset; mean age 13.3 yrs; mean duration of disease 6.6 yrs). Patients received 0.4 mg/kg etanercept subcutaneously twice weekly in addition to their existing therapeutic regimen. Observed duration of treatment ranged between 4 and 12 months.


RESULTS
Patients tolerated treatment with etanercept well. No serious adverse events were noted. Treatment response showed considerable improvement of morning stiffness (mean reduction of 96 min approximately equal to -93%) and joint counts including swollen joints (delta -8.2 approximately equal to -40%), tender joints (delta -9.2 approximately equal to -88%), and total joints (delta -9.8 approximately equal to -37%). Laboratory results included decreases in ESR (delta -46 mm/h approximately equal to -53%) and improvement of anemia.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results confirm etanercept is a powerful adjunct in the therapy of polyarticular JRA resistant to conventional treatment regimens.
Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63104, USA.
D A
DA
Kietz
P H
PH
Pepmueller
T L
TL
Moore
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D007596:Joints / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000068800:Etanercept