Good disease control , with therapeutic escalation to achieve low disease activity , was recommended .
OBJECTIVE To develop treatment recommendations for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis manifesting as non-systemic polyarthritis , sacroiliitis , or enthesitis .
Sulfasalazine in the treatment of juvenile chronic arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. Dutch Juvenile Chronic Arthritis Study Group.
OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy , tolerability , and safety of sulfasalazine ( SSZ ) in the treatment of juvenile chronic arthritis ( JCA ) . METHODS We conducted a 24-week r and omized , placebo-controlled , double-blind , multicenter study of patients with active JCA of both oligoarticular and polyarticular onset . Patients were treated with a dosage of 50 mg/kg/day of SSZ ( maximum 2,000 mg/day ) or placebo . The efficacy variables were joint scores , physician 's , parents ' , and patient 's overall assessment s , and laboratory parameters of inflammation . RESULTS Of the 69 patients enrolled , 52 ( 75 % ) completed the trial . Six patients ( 18 % ) withdrew from the placebo group , and 11 ( 31 % ) withdrew from the SSZ group ( P = 0.18 ) . In the intention-to-treat analysis of end point efficacy , between-group differences were significant for the overall articular severity score ( P = 0.02 ) , all global assessment s ( P = 0.01 ) , and the laboratory parameters ( P < 0.001 ) . Adverse events occurred more frequently in the SSZ group and were the main reason for withdrawal ( P < 0.001 ) , but in all instances , these events were transient or reversible upon cessation of treatment . CONCLUSION The results of this first placebo-controlled study show that SSZ is effective and safe in the treatment of children with oligoarticular- and polyarticular-onset JCA , although it was not well tolerated in one-third of the patients
Good disease control , with therapeutic escalation to achieve low disease activity , was recommended .
OBJECTIVE To develop treatment recommendations for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis manifesting as non-systemic polyarthritis , sacroiliitis , or enthesitis .