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Improvements in growth parameters in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis associated with the effect of

Gaëlle Chédeville1, Pierre Quartier, Marta Miranda

  • 1Unité d'Immuno-Hématologie-Rhumatologie Pédiatrique, hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, 149 rue de Sèvres, 75743 Paris cedex 15, France. gaelle.chedeville@muhc.mcgill.ca

Joint Bone Spine
|August 10, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Methotrexate (MTX) therapy significantly improved growth parameters like height and weight in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who responded to treatment. Non-responders did not experience similar growth benefits, highlighting MTX

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Rheumatology
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) can impact growth in pre-pubertal children.
  • Methotrexate (MTX) is a common treatment for JIA, but its effect on growth parameters in steroid-naïve patients is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the association between MTX treatment response and changes in growth parameters (height, growth rate, weight, BMI) in pre-pubertal children with JIA.
  • To compare growth outcomes between MTX responders and non-responders.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 27 pre-pubertal children with JIA, treated with MTX and without prior steroid use, was studied.
  • Treatment response was defined as a ≥50% decrease in active joints after 1 year.
  • Growth parameters were assessed and compared between responders and non-responders at baseline and after 1, 2, and 3 years.

Main Results:

  • Twenty-one children (77.8%) responded to MTX therapy.
  • Responders showed significant increases in height, growth rate, weight, and BMI after 1 year compared to non-responders.
  • These significant differences in height and growth rate between responders and non-responders were sustained up to 3 years.

Conclusions:

  • Clinical response to MTX therapy in pre-pubertal children with JIA is linked to significant improvements in growth parameters.
  • MTX may positively influence linear growth and weight gain in pediatric patients with JIA who achieve a clinical response.
Abstract

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