Etanercept therapy in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Etanercept is an effective inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor that has shown a beneficial effect in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) that did not respond to other disease-modifying drugs. Here we report 3 patients with JRA who were refractory to traditional therapy; 1 with systemic JRA and 2 with polyarticular JRA. They received etanercept 0.4 mg/kg (maximum 25 mg) subcutaneously, twice a week for 3 months. The symptoms of arthritis improved significantly except that the patient with systemic JRA had disease flare-up during etanercept therapy. Two patients had upper respiratory tract infection during etanercept therapy and 1 suffered from seizure attack. The 2 patients with polyarticular JRA had disease flare-up within 2 months after etanercept was discontinued. This is the first report of etanercept treatment in JRA patients in Taiwan.
Hung
Jeng-Juh
JJ
Division of Allergy, Asthma and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Huang
Jing-Long
JL
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000068800:Etanercept