TY - JOUR T1 - Clinical Remission in Patients with Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Treated with Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Agents JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 1078 LP - 1082 DO - 10.3899/jrheum.090952 VL - 36 IS - 5 AU - RICARDO A.G. RUSSO AU - MARÍA M. KATSICAS Y1 - 2009/05/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/36/5/1078.abstract N2 - 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 fulfilment of improvement criteria at Month 3 were associated with remission in univariate analysis; no variable showed any association in multivariate analysis. Conclusion. Twenty-four percent of patients with systemic JIA experienced remission with anti-TNF therapy, but only 13% experienced sustained benefit. ER -