title: Disease activity score in 28 joints at 3 months after the initiation of biologic agent can be a predictive target for switching to the second biologic agent in patients with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA) patients who failed to maintain prolonged remission with the first biologic agent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen pJIA patients were observed for 47.5 months (median) after initiating the first biologic agent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight maintained sustained clinical remission (median 47 months) with the first biologic agents, while the six switched to the second one due to lack of efficacy, thereafter. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) of 2.37 at 3 months could distinguish between the two patient groups (p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  pJIA patients with DAS28 >2.37 at 3 months of the initial biologic therapy may be considered to switch to the second biologics.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imanaka
authors.forename: Syuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamatou
authors.forename: Yasuhito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nerome
authors.forename: Yuuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nonaka
authors.forename: Harumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akaike
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takezaki
authors.forename: Yosihumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001685:Biological Factors