title: Therapeutic use of etanercept in polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis over a two year period.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the treatment response to etanercept in patients with polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
  
  
  METHODS
  22 patients with polyarticular course JIA (19 females, three males; mean age 13.9 years; mean disease duration 6.3 years; 15 with polyarticular onset, seven with systemic onset, one with residual systemic activity; eight rheumatoid factor positive; eight with erosive disease) were treated with etanercept for up to 24 months. Etanercept was given subcutaneously at 0.4 mg/kg twice a week. Treatment response was ascertained in an open prospective study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients showed impressive clinical improvement, with a decrease in swollen joint count by an average of 10.1 joints (mean of 49% decrease), a decrease in tender joint count by 9.3 joints (mean of 94%), and decrease in total joint count by 11.2 joints (mean of 48%). Duration of morning stiffness decreased to less than 10 minutes. Furthermore, haemoglobin concentration increased on average by 14 g/l (mean of 15.3%) and packed cell volume increased by 0.035 (mean increase of 12%), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate decreased on average by 42.8 mm/1st h (mean decrease of 64%). No major side effects were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Etanercept continues to be clinically effective and well tolerated in patients with polyarticular course JIA over a two year period.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, St Louis University Health Sciences Center, St Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kietz
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Pepmueller
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D006454:Hemoglobins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000068800:Etanercept