title: Prediction of long-term remission of oligo/polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis with S100A12 and vascular endothelial growth factor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of S100A12 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for predicting the stability of remission for discontinuing methotrexate (MTX) and/or biological agents in Japanese patients with oligo/polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four patients with oligo/polyarticular JIA who received MTX with or without biological agents were enrolled. Serum concentration of both S100A12 and VEGF were simultaneously evaluated by ELISA in active and in remission phase determined by activity markers including DAS-28.
  
  
  RESULTS
  S100A12 and VEGF were correlated with DAS-28. Of the 22 patients with oligo/polyarticular JIA in clinical remission, 13 patients with low S100A12 and VEGF concentrations could discontinue treatment without relapse over 2 years. However, nine patients without low S100A12 and VEGF concentrations relapsed afterwards, even though they had been in clinical remission. The cut-off levels of S100A12 and VEGF for division into two groups of the maintenance remission and relapse groups were 177 ng/ml and 158 pg/ml, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  S100A12 and VEGF are useful markers for assessing disease activity of oligo/polyarticular JIA in remission phase. These markers should be kept low when clinicians consider tapering or discontinuing treatments in oligo/polyarticular JIA patients.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics and.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health Sciences , Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences , Kagoshima , Japan.
authors.forename: Syuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics and.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imanaka
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics and.
authors.forename: Yasuhito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nerome
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics and.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics and.
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nonaka
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics and.
authors.forename: Harumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akaike
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics and.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takezaki
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics and.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D062072:Patient Acuity; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods; D000067616:S100A12 Protein / Q000097:blood*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D001685:Biological Factors; D015415:Biomarkers; D000067616:S100A12 Protein; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D008727:Methotrexate
keywords: DAS-28; Long-term remission; Oligo/polyarticular JIA; S100A12; VEGF