title: [Efficacy of thalidomide for treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of thalidomide in the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve children with JIA who did not respond to conventional treatment were administered with thalidomide (2 mg/kg daily). The symptoms, signs, and laboratory test results were compared before and after treatment. The thalidomide-related side effects were observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average dosage of prednisone was reduced from 1.92 ± 0.16 mg/kg•d to 0.49 ± 0.42 mg/kg•d in the 12 patients 6 months after thalidomide treatment (P<0.01). Four patients did not need prednisone treatment any more. White blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP) and serum ferritin (SF) significantly decreased after treatment in all of 12 patients (P<0.01). Hemoglobin level increased to normal in 8 patients after treatment (P<0.01). The number of affected joints decreased from 5 before treatment to zero to 2 after treatment in patients with polyarticular JIA (P<0.01). Signs of hip involvement and Schober's sign turned negative in enthesitis-related cases. No thalidomide-related side effects were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thalidomide is effective in the treatment of JIA in children who do not respond to conventional treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Beijing Children's Hospital, Bejing, China.
authors.forename: Tong-Xin
authors.initials: TX
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Cai-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei-Ying
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Yi-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013792:Thalidomide; D011241:Prednisone