Juvenile Arthritis News

WASHINGTON —Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis had a greater rate of acquiring rare opportunistic infections than children without the disease, according to research presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting.

Significant differences in pain intensity, physical function and health status existed across juvenile idiopathic arthritis categories, with patients having enthesitis-related arthritis reporting more frequent and intense pain, according to study results.

The FDA has expanded Actemra’s approved indication for treating adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis who have had inadequate response to one or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, its manufacturer recently announced.

The FDA today approved Humira as a treatment for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis in adult patients, according to a press release.

Biologic treatment for juvenile idiopathic arthritis, used in 45% of studied cases, was strongly associated with rheumatoid factor-positive polyarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, uveitis and systemic arthritis in a recent study.

Adalimumab exposure in six immune-medicated inflammatory diseases showed individual differences by disease population and safety consistent with anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs with no new long-term safety signals, according to study results.

Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis who received an influenza vaccine reported no long-term adverse reactions in a recent prospective study.

Educational achievement is the primary means for employment success for adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, with functional disability being more influential than disease subtype, according to study results.

A retrospective analysis of methotrexate safety data indicates injection of the disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug is not superior to oral therapy in the long-term treatment of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

A rheumatologist is a specialist in the field of rheumatology who has received postgraduate training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and other diseases of the joints, muscles and bones. Apart from the main types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, a rheumatologist may treat 100 different types of pain and musculoskeletal disorders, including autoimmune diseases, back pain, fibromyalgia, gout, lupus, osteoporosis, Sjögren’s syndrome, spondylitis, Still’s disease and tendinitis.