Clinical remission in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor agents.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the frequency of clinical remission in a cohort of patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who received continuous anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy; and to identify potential predictors of remission.


METHODS
Patients with systemic JIA who were treated with anti-TNF agents for > 6 months were studied. Demographic and nosologic variables recorded at the start of anti-TNF therapy were analyzed. Association between early variables and occurrence of remission was evaluated through Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.


RESULTS
Forty-five patients were included (30 girls), median age 9 years (range 2-17 yrs), age at disease onset 5 years (range 0.5-15), disease duration 3 years (range 0.5-13). Twenty-one (47%) children showed systemic symptoms at the start of anti-TNF therapy. Patients received therapy for 24 months (range 6-88): 45 (100%) were given etanercept, 17 (38%) infliximab, and 5 (11%) adalimumab, in combination with methotrexate. Anti-TNF switching was performed in 22 (49%) children. Eleven (24%) met definition criteria for remission while taking etanercept (n = 8), infliximab (2), or adalimumab (1). Remission occurred following 26 (range 9-65) months of therapy. Flares occurred in 5 (45%) patients 2 to 14 months after remission was first recorded. Absence of systemic symptoms at the start of therapy and fulfillment of improvement criteria at Month 3 were associated with remission in univariate analysis; no variable showed any association in multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Twenty-four percent of patients with systemic JIA experienced remission with anti-TNF therapy, but only 13% experienced sustained benefit.
Servicio de Inmunología y Reumatología, Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan, Pichincha, Buenos Aires, Argentina. rrusso@garrahan.gov.ar
Ricardo A G
RA
Russo
María M
MM
Katsicas
D000068879:Adalimumab; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D000069285:Infliximab; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012074:Remission Induction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab; D000068879:Adalimumab; D000068800:Etanercept; D008727:Methotrexate