Objective. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of infliximab in the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).Methods. This was an international, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. One hundred twenty-two children with persistent polyarticular JRA despite prior methotrexate (MTX) therapy were randomized to receive infliximab or placebo ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00036374.

Methods. In the screening phase, 595 patients who were newly started on a standard dose of MTX were followed up for 6 months. Subsequently, the nonresponders, defined according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) pediatric 30% improvement criteria (pediatric 30), were randomized to receive an intermediate dose or higher dose of parenteral MTX for an additional 6 months. Improvement in the screening and randomization phase was defined by the ACR pediatric 30 response, as well as by the 50% and 70% response levels (ACR pediatric 50 and ACR pediatric 70, respectively).Results. In the screening phase, after receiving standard doses of MTX, 430 patients (72%) improved according to the ACR pediatric 30, while 360 (61%) met the ACR pediatric 50 and 225 (38%) met the ACR pediatric 70; among these patients, 69 (12%) also met the definition of complete disease control. Of the 133 nonresponders, 80 were randomized to receive an intermediate dose or higher dose of MTX. In the randomization phase, the ACR pediatric

Objectives. To study the validity of both rheumatological and orthodontic examinations and ultrasound (US) as screening methods for early diagnosis of TMJ arthritis against the gold standard MRI.Methods. Thirty consecutive juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients were included in this pilot study. Rheumatological and orthodontic examinations as well as US were performed within 1 month of the MRI in a blinded fashion. Joint effusion and/or increased contrast enhancement of synovium or bone were considered signs of active arthritis on MRI.Results. A total of 19/30 (63%) patients and 33/60 (55%) joints had signs of TMJ involvement on MRI. This was associated with condylar deformity in 9/19 (47%) patients and 15/33 (45%) joints. Rheumatological, orthodontic and US examinations correctly diagnosed 11 (58%), 9 (47%) and 6 (33%) patients, respectively, with active TMJ arthritis, but misdiagnosed 8 (42%), 10 (53%) and 12 (67%) patients, respectively, as having no signs of inflammation. The best predictor for active arthritis on MRI was a reduced maximum mouth opening.Conclusion. None of the methods tested was able to reliably predict the presence or absence of MRI-proven inflammation in the TMJ in our cohort of JIA patients. US was the least useful of all methods tested to exclude active TMJ arthritis.

Objective. To assess the prevalence, risk factors, and long-term outcome of uveitis in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).Methods. An inception cohort of all 1,081 patients diagnosed as having JIA at a single tertiary care center was established. A questionnaire and followup telephone calls were used to confirm the diagnosis of uveitis. Ophthalmologists' records of patients with uveitis were collected. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to assess risk factors for developing uveitis and for complications of uveitis.Results. After a mean followup time of 6.9 years, 142 of 1,081 patients (13.1%) had developed uveitis. Risk factors were young age at diagnosis, female sex, antinuclear antibody positivity, and the subtype of JIA. The relative contribution of these risk factors was different for the different subtypes of JIA. Until the end of the study, uveitis complications had developed in 53 of 142 patients with uveitis (37.3%; 4.9% of the total cohort). Only 16 of 175 involved eyes (9.1%) in 14 of 108 patients (13%; 1.3% of the total cohort) for whom ophthalmology reports were available had best corrected visual acuity less than 20/40 (mean followup time for uveitis of 6.3 years). Abnormal vision was associated with synechiae or cataract.Conclusion. Risk factors for developing uveitis were different among subtypes of JIA. The long-term outcome of JIA-associated uveitis in our cohort was excellent despite the high rate of complications.

Objective. To study the influence of ethnicity on the risk of developing juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in a multiethnic community of patients with unrestricted access to health care.Methods. A questionnaire on ethnicity was distributed to all patients with JIA being followed up at the Conclusion. In this multiethnic cohort, European descent was associated with a significantly increased risk of developing JIA, and the distribution of JIA subtypes differed significantly across ethnic groups.