Significant pain decrease in children with non-systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis treated to target: results over...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Rheumatology
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) poses challenges in pain management.
• Identifying effective treatment strategies and predictors of persistent pain is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare pain scores across three targeted treatment strategies in JIA patients.
• To identify baseline characteristics that predict persistent pain in JIA.

Main Methods:

• The BeSt-for-Kids study randomized 92 DMARD-naïve JIA patients into three treatment arms.
• Pain scores (VAS) were analyzed over 24 months using linear mixed models.
• A multivariable model assessed baseline predictors of high pain scores during follow-up.

Main Results:

• Mean pain scores decreased significantly from 55.3 mm to 19.5 mm over 24 months.
• No significant differences in pain reduction were observed between the three treatment strategies.
• Higher baseline VAS pain and active joint count predicted higher pain over time; lower physician VAS, CHQ Physical, and Psychosocial scores predicted lower pain.

Conclusions:

• Treatment-to-target approaches are effective for pain reduction in non-systemic JIA, regardless of the initial strategy.
• Identified baseline predictors can help identify JIA patients at high risk for developing chronic pain.