Abstract
Objective
To evaluate associations of growth velocity with inflammatory markers and cumulative dose of glucocorticoid in a cohort of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) followed during 1 year.
Methods
Seventy-nine patients were evaluated. Disease activity was evaluated by a pediatric rheumatologist. Anthropometric data were classified according to the World Health Organization standards. Tanner growth velocity curves were used; values below the Z-score≤ −2 were considered low growth velocity. Serum concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6) were measured by ELISA, and values > 1 pg/ml were considered elevated.
Results
The prevalence of low growth velocity was 25.3%, and it was associated with active disease on followup visit, elevated IL-6, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, and higher cumulative glucocorticoid doses. In the multiple linear regression with growth velocity as the dependent variable, only elevated IL-6 level was independently and negatively associated with growth velocity.
Conclusion
Low growth velocity is highly prevalent in children with JIA. Elevated IL-6 levels seem to have an important negative influence on growth in these children, while total glucocorticoid exposure appears to be a secondary factor.
Key Indexing Terms:Footnotes
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L. Souza, MSc, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA)/Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), CAPES Fellow; S.H. Machado, PhD Student, HCPA/UFRGS; C.V. Brenol, MD, MSc, Division of Rheumatology, HCPA; J.C. Brenol, PhD, Assistant Professor, Head, Rheumatology Service, HCPA/UFRGS; R.M. Xavier, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Rheumatology Service, HCPA/UFRGS.
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Supported by FIPE/HCPA (Fund of Incentive to Research at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre).
- Accepted for publication June 23, 2008.
