[New therapy approaches, better outcomes? : Results from inception cohorts for patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis]

Prospective cohort studies collect demographic and clinical data of newly diagnosed patients using standardized questionnaires and validated measuring instruments. Therefore, they are a valuable data source for evaluating disease progression, outcome parameters and predictors. In this article a selection of results from four inception cohorts on juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) are presented. In all cohorts, one half to three quarters of the patients achieved an inactive disease within the first year under observation but there were relevant differences between the different JIA categories. The time from symptom onset to diagnosis could be identified as an important predictor of this outcome. Data from the German JIA cohort showed that the health-related quality of life of patients and healthy control subjects had largely converged 3 years after inclusion. Young children with JIA and the detection of antinuclear antibodies have an increased risk of developing JIA-associated uveitis. Of these, the uveitis was inactive in approximately 80% after 1 year; however, at the time of diagnosis, almost 30% of patients already had uveitis-related complications. The previous therapy with methotrexate proved to be preventive for the development of uveitis. The early outcome of JIA patients is generally good. The differences in the JIA categories indicate the need to further individualize the therapy and to adapt it better to the risk profile of the individual patient. Data on long-term outcomes will provide information on which factors have a decisive influence on the course of the disease and how the care of children and adolescents with JIA can be further improved.