Active refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Treatment with infliximab. Efficacy and safety

Objectives. To evaluate efficacy and safety of infliximab (Remicade) in patients affected by severe Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) unresponsive to traditional DMARDs. Methods. Nine patients were treated with infliximab (3 mg/kg ev) on days 0, 15, 45 and then every two months. Patients who had a 30% improvement in at least three of the six variables evaluated, with no more than one indicator worsening by more than 30%, were considered responders. Results. Six out of nine patients satisfied the criteria for improvement. Two patients experienced adverse events that required withdrawal from the study. Conclusions. These data confirm infliximab as an effective treatment for refractory JIA.