PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - D A Kietz
AU  - P H Pepmueller
AU  - T L Moore
TI  - Clinical response to etanercept in polyarticular course juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
DP  - 2001 Feb 01
TA  - The Journal of Rheumatology
PG  - 360--362
VI  - 28
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/28/2/360.short
4100  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/28/2/360.full
SO  - J Rheumatol2001 Feb 01; 28
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate safety and clinical response to treatment with etanercept in the polyarticular course of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). METHODS: Ten patients were studied (8 female, 2 male; 6 polyarticular JRA, 4 systemic onset; mean age 13.3 yrs; mean duration of disease 6.6 yrs). Patients received 0.4 mg/kg etanercept subcutaneously twice weekly in addition to their existing therapeutic regimen. Observed duration of treatment ranged between 4 and 12 months. RESULTS: Patients tolerated treatment with etanercept well. No serious adverse events were noted. Treatment response showed considerable improvement of morning stiffness (mean reduction of 96 min approximately equal to -93%) and joint counts including swollen joints (delta -8.2 approximately equal to -40%), tender joints (delta -9.2 approximately equal to -88%), and total joints (delta -9.8 approximately equal to -37%). Laboratory results included decreases in ESR (delta -46 mm/h approximately equal to -53%) and improvement of anemia. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm etanercept is a powerful adjunct in the therapy of polyarticular JRA resistant to conventional treatment regimens.