Childhood-Onset Non-Infectious Uveitis in the "Biologic Era". Results From Spanish Multicenter Multidisciplinary Real-World Clinical Settings.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize and describe clinical experience with childhood-onset non-infectious uveitis. STUDY DESIGN: A multicenter retrospective multidisciplinary national web-based registry of 507 patients from 21 hospitals was analyzed. Cases were grouped as immune disease-associated (IMDu), idiopathic (IDIu) or ophthalmologically distinct. Characteristics of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated (non-HLA-B27-related) uveitis (JIAu), IDIu, and pars planitis (PP) were compared. RESULTS: IMDu (62.3%) and JIAu (51.9%) predominated in young females; and IDIu (22.7%) and PP (13.6%) in older children, without sex imbalance. Ocular complications occurred in 45.3% of cases (posterior synechiae [28%], cataracts [16%], band keratopathy [14%], ocular hypertension [11%] and cystoid macular edema [10%]) and were associated with synthetic (86%) and biologic (65%) disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) use. Subgroups were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with different characteristics. JIAu was typically anterior (98%), insidious (75%), in ANA-positive (69%), young females (82%) with fewer complications (31%), better visual outcomes, and later use of uveitis-effective biologics. In contrast, IDIu was characteristically anterior (87%) or panuveitic (12.1%), with acute onset (60%) and more complications at onset (59%: synechiae [31%] and cataracts [9.6%]) and less DMARD use, while PP is intermediate, and was mostly bilateral (72.5%), persistent (86.5%) and chronic (86.8%), with more complications (70%; mainly posterior segment and cataracts at last visit), impaired visual acuity at onset, and greater systemic (81.2%), subtenon (29.1%) and intravitreal (10.1%) steroid use. CONCLUSION: Prognosis of childhood uveitis has improved in the "biologic era," particularly in JIAu. Early referral and DMARD therapy may reduce steroid use and improve outcomes, especially in PP and IDIu.

What drives the decision to optimise biological treatment in children and youngsters with juvenile idiopathic arthritis? A discrete-choice experiment.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse factors involved in the decision to optimise biologics in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. METHODS: A "discrete-choice" methodology was used. In a nominal group meeting, factors which may influence physicians' decisions to optimise biological dose were identified, together with decision nodes. 1000Minds® was used to create multiple fictitious clinical scenarios based on the factors identified, and to deploy surveys that were sent to a panel of experts. These experts decided for each item which of two clinical scenarios prompted them to optimise the dose of biologic. A conjoint analysis was carried out, and the partial-value functions and the weights of relative importance calculated. RESULTS: In the nominal group, three decision nodes were identified: (1) time to decide; (2) to maintain/reduce or prolong interval; (3) what drug to reduce. The factors elicited were different for each node and included patient and drug attributes. The presence of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), systemic involvement, or subclinical inflammation made the decision easier (highest weights). The presence of joints of difficult control and year of debut influenced the decision in some but not all, and in different directions. Immunogenicity, adherence, and concomitant treatments were also aspects taken into account. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to optimise the dose of biological therapy in children and youngster can be divided into several nodes, and the factors, both patient and therapy-related, leading to the decision can be detailed. These decisions taken by experts may be transported to practice, study designs, and guidelines.

Real-world comparison of the effects of etanercept and adalimumab on well-being in non-systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a propensity score matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Etanercept (ETN) and adalimumab (ADA) are considered equally effective biologicals in the treatment of arthritis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) but no studies have compared their impact on patient-reported well-being. The objective of this study was to determine whether ETN and ADA have a differential effect on patient-reported well-being in non-systemic JIA using real-world data. METHODS: Biological-naive patients without a history of uveitis were selected from the international Pharmachild registry. Patients starting ETN were matched to patients starting ADA based on propensity score and outcomes were collected at time of therapy initiation and 3-12 months afterwards. Primary outcome at follow-up was the improvement in Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR) visual analogue scale (VAS) well-being score from baseline. Secondary outcomes at follow-up were decrease in active joint count, adverse events and uveitis events. Outcomes were analyzed using linear and logistic mixed effects models. RESULTS: Out of 158 eligible patients, 45 ETN starters and 45 ADA starters could be propensity score matched resulting in similar VAS well-being scores at baseline. At follow-up, the median improvement in VAS well-being was 2 (interquartile range (IQR): 0.0 - 4.0) and scores were significantly better (P = 0.01) for ETN starters (median 0.0, IQR: 0.0 - 1.0) compared to ADA starters (median 1.0, IQR: 0.0 - 3.5). The estimated mean difference in VAS well-being improvement from baseline for ETN versus ADA was 0.89 (95% CI: -0.01 - 1.78; P = 0.06). The estimated mean difference in active joint count decrease was -0.36 (95% CI: -1.02 - 0.30; P = 0.28) and odds ratio for adverse events was 0.48 (95% CI: 0.16 -1.44; P = 0.19). One uveitis event was observed in the ETN group. CONCLUSIONS: Both ETN and ADA improve well-being in non-systemic JIA. Our data might indicate a trend towards a slightly stronger effect for ETN, but larger studies are needed to confirm this given the lack of statistical significance.

IgA deficiency and autoimmune comorbidities in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To describe the prevalence of IgA deficiency (IgAD), uveitis, coeliac disease (CD) and thyroid disorders in a multicentric cohort of patients diagnosed with JIA and, (2) to evaluate whether patients with JIA and IgAD present other autoimmune diseases more frequently than patients with normal serum levels of IgA. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of a cohort of patients diagnosed with JIA followed at the paediatric rheumatology units of two hospitals in Madrid, Spain. RESULTS: A total of 193 patients were included. Of them, 123 were females (64%). Median age at disease onset was 5.6 years (IQR 2.5-9.7) and the median time of follow-up was 5.1 years (IQR 2.2-8.1). The three most common ILAR categories were oligoarticular (53%), polyarticular RF negative (20%) and enthesitis related arthritis (10%). Serum IgA levels were available in 172/193 (89%); 25/172 (15%) had selective (<7mg/dl, n=8) or partial (7-69mg/dl, n=17) IgAD. All the patients had periodic eye exams. Eighteen children (9%) had anterior uveitis, 15/18 chronic and 3/18 acute. Serum anti transglutaminase IgA, or IgG in IgAD were obtained in 135/193 (70%). Four children (3%) were diagnosed with CD either by intestinal biopsy (n=3) or by the combination of characteristic clinical, serological and genetic features (n=1); two of them had IgAD (p=0.12; OR=6.4; 95% CI 0.9-47.6). Only 1/153 (0.7%) patient had hyperthyrotropinemia with positive anti-thyroid antibodies and required replacement therapy. CONCLUSION: Patients with JIA frequently present autoimmune comorbidities. IgAD does not seem to increase their prevalence, with the possible exception of CD.

Anakinra in Patients With Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Long-term Safety From the Pharmachild Registry.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term safety profile of anakinra in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA). METHODS: Data from patients with sJIA enrolled in the Pharmachild registry (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03932344) prior to September 30, 2018, and treated with anakinra were analyzed. The study endpoints were the occurrence of non-serious adverse events (SAEs) of at least moderate severity and SAEs, including macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), and the duration of anakinra treatment with reasons for discontinuation. All endpoints were analyzed overall by 6-month time windows, and in different treatment sets represented by those patients treated continuously with anakinra for at least 12, 18, and 24 months (set-12, -18, and -24, respectively). RESULTS: Three hundred six patients were enrolled. Of these patients, 46%, 34%, and 28% had been treated for at least 12, 18, and 24 months, respectively. Two hundred and one AEs, mostly represented by infections, were reported for 509.3 patient-years (PY) with an overall incidence rate (IR) of 39.5 per 100 PY. Among 56 SAEs (IR 11.0/100 PY), 23.2% were infections and 19.6% MAS episodes. The IR of AEs was higher during the first 6 months of anakinra treatment, followed by decreasing IRs in the long-term treatment sets. Treatment discontinuation occurred in 76% of patients, most frequently in the first 6 months, because of inefficacy (43%), remission (31%), or AEs/intolerance (15%). No deaths or malignancies occurred during anakinra treatment. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study confirm the long-term safety profile of anakinra in patients with sJIA and demonstrate an overall decreasing incidence of AEs over time. [ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01399281 and NCT03932344].

Clinical characteristics and COVID-19 outcomes in a regional cohort of pediatric patients with rheumatic diseases.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pediatric patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) and identify the risk factors associated with symptomatic or severe disease defined as hospital admission, intensive care admission or death. METHODS: An observational longitudinal study was conducted during the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (March 2020-March 2021). All pediatric patients attended at the rheumatology outpatient clinics of six tertiary referral hospitals in Madrid, Spain, with a diagnosis of RMD and COVID-19 were included. Main outcomes were symptomatic disease and hospital admission. The covariates were sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and treatment regimens. We ran a multivariable logistic regression model to assess associated factors for outcomes. RESULTS: The study population included 77 pediatric patients. Mean age was 11.88 (4.04) years Of these, 30 patients (38.96%) were asymptomatic, 41 (53.25%) had a mild-moderate COVID-19 and 6 patients (7.79%) required hospital admission. The median length of hospital admission was 5 (2-20) days, one patient required intensive care and there were no deaths. Previous comorbidities increased the risk for symptomatic disease and hospital admission. Compared with outpatients, the factor independently associated with hospital admission was previous use of glucocorticoids (OR 3.51; p = 0.00). No statistically significant risk factors for symptomatic COVID-19 were found in the final model. CONCLUSION: No differences in COVID-19 outcomes according to childhood-onset rheumatic disease types were found. Results suggest that associated comorbidities and treatment with glucocorticoids increase the risk of hospital admission.

Biological therapy in refractory chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis: A case series of 19 patients.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) represents an autoinflammatory bone disorder. Currently there are no standardized diagnostic or treatment guidelines. The objective of the study is to describe our experience with biological therapy in children with the disease. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of patients with CNO treated with biological therapy followed at two tertiary hospitals from January 2007 to April 2020. Biologicals were started in most patients due to persistent disease activity after receiving standard therapy with at least 2 drugs (NSAIDs and corticosteroids and/or pamidronate). RESULTS: Twenty-five patients were diagnosed with CNO. Out of those, 19 patients (15 females) failed conventional therapy. The mean age at diagnosis was 8.8±2.9 years and the mean diagnostic delay was 6.9±8.3 months. All patients presented with bone pain and 6/19 also had fever. The most frequently affected bones were femur (9 patients), followed by clavicle, tibia and vertebrae (6, 6 and 5 patients respectively). Nine children had skin lesions. C-reactive protein was elevated in 13/19 patients (mean 20.2mg/L±11.7) and ESR in 16/19 (mean 48mm/h±29). All patients received nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, 15/19 pamidronate, 10/19 corticosteroids and 19 anti-TNF-therapy. At the last follow-up visit, 10/19 patients were still on biological therapy (8 adalimumab, 2 infliximab) and 18 out of 19 remained asymptomatic. In regards to adverse effects, one patient receiving infliximab developed S. aureus osteomyelitis and another cutaneous leishmaniosis. CONCLUSIONS: This research emphasizes that anti-TNF-therapy represents an effective and safe alternative for patients with CNO refractory to conventional treatments.

Phenotypic variability and disparities in treatment and outcomes of childhood arthritis throughout the world: an observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To our knowledge, the characteristics and burden of childhood arthritis have never been studied on a worldwide basis. We aimed to investigate, with a cross-sectional study, the prevalence of disease categories, treatment methods, and disease status in patients from across different geographical areas and from countries with diverse wealth status. METHODS: In this multinational, cross-sectional, observational cohort study, we asked international paediatric rheumatologists from specialised centres to enrol children with a diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, according to International League of Associations for Rheumatology criteria, who were seen consecutively for a period of 6 months. Each patient underwent retrospective and cross-sectional assessments, including measures of disease activity and damage and questionnaires on the wellbeing and quality of life of the children. We qualitatively compared the collected data across eight geographical areas, and we explored an association between disease activity and damage and a country's gross domestic product (GDP) with a multiple logistic regression analysis. FINDINGS: Between April 4, 2011, and Nov 21, 2016, 9081 patients were enrolled at 130 centres in 49 countries, grouped into eight geographical areas. Systemic arthritis (125 [33·0%] of 379 patients) and enthesitis-related arthritis (113 [29·8%] of 379) were more common in southeast Asia, whereas oligoarthritis was more prevalent in southern Europe (1360 [56·7%] of 2400) and rheumatoid factor-negative polyarthritis was more frequent in North America (165 [31·5%] of 523) than in the other areas. Prevalence of uveitis was highest in northern Europe (161 [19·1%] of 845 patients) and southern Europe (450 [18·8%] of 2400) and lowest in Latin America (54 [6·4%] of 849), Africa and Middle East (71 [5·9%] of 1209), and southeast Asia (19 [5·0%] of 379). Median age at disease onset was lower in southern Europe (3·5 years, IQR 1·9-7·3) than in other regions. Biological, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs were prescribed more frequently in northern Europe and North America than in other geographical settings. Patients living in countries with lower GDP had greater disease activity and damage than those living in wealthier countries. Damage was associated with referral delay. INTERPRETATION: Our study documents a variability in prevalence of disease phenotypes and disparities in therapeutic choices and outcomes across geographical areas and wealth status of countries. The greater disease burden in lower-resource settings highlights the need for public health efforts aimed at improving equity in access to effective treatments and care for juvenile idiopathic arthritis. FUNDING: IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini.

Development and validation of a composite disease activity score for measurement of muscle and skin involvement in juvenile dermatomyositis.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a composite DAS for JDM and provide preliminary evidence of its validity. METHODS: The Juvenile DermatoMyositis Activity Index (JDMAI) is composed of four items: physician's global assessment of overall disease activity; parent's/child's global assessment of child's wellbeing; measurement of muscle strength; and assessment of skin disease activity. The score of the JDMAI is the arithmetic sum of the scores of each individual component. Six versions of the JDMAI were tested, which differed in the tools used to assess the third and fourth items. Validation procedures were conducted using three large multinational patient samples including a total of 627 patients. RESULTS: The JDMAI was found to possess face and content validity, good construct validity, satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.58-0.89), fair responsiveness to clinically important change (standardized response mean = 0.82-3.12 among patients improved) and strong capacity to discriminate patients judged as being in the state of inactive disease or low, moderate or high disease activity by the physician (P < 0.001) or whose parents were satisfied or not satisfied with the course of their child's illness (P < 0.001). Overall, the six versions of the JDMAI showed similar metrological performances in validation analyses. CONCLUSION: The JDMAI was found to possess good measurement properties in a large population of patients with a wide range of disease activity, and is, therefore, suitable for use in both clinical and research settings. The final version of the JDMAI will be selected after its prospective validation.

Pediatrician Beliefs about Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis May Result in Referral Delays: A Spanish National Survey.

We explored, through a national survey, pediatrician beliefs and misconceptions that could interfere with early referral of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. A total of 831 pediatricians participated. Approximately one-half of the respondents underestimated the incidence of the disease and thought that pain was the leading symptom of oligoarticular forms.

Unexpected relevant role of gene mosaicism in patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases.

BACKGROUND: Postzygotic de novo mutations lead to the phenomenon of gene mosaicism. The 3 main types are called somatic, gonadal, and gonosomal mosaicism, which differ in terms of the body distribution of postzygotic mutations. Mosaicism has been reported occasionally in patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) since the early 1990s, but its real involvement has not been systematically addressed. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the incidence of gene mosaicism in patients with PIDs. METHODS: The amplicon-based deep sequencing method was used in the 3 parts of the study that establish (1) the allele frequency of germline variants (n = 100), (2) the incidence of parental gonosomal mosaicism in families with PIDs with de novo mutations (n = 92), and (3) the incidence of mosaicism in families with PIDs with moderate-to-high suspicion of gene mosaicism (n = 36). Additional investigations evaluated body distribution of postzygotic mutations, their stability over time, and their characteristics. RESULTS: The range of allele frequency (44.1% to 55.6%) was established for germline variants. Those with minor allele frequencies of less than 44.1% were assumed to be postzygotic. Mosaicism was detected in 30 (23.4%) of 128 families with PIDs, with a variable minor allele frequency (0.8% to 40.5%). Parental gonosomal mosaicism was detected in 6 (6.5%) of 92 families with de novo mutations, and a high incidence of mosaicism (63.9%) was detected among families with moderate-to-high suspicion of gene mosaicism. In most analyzed cases mosaicism was found to be both uniformly distributed and stable over time. CONCLUSION: This study represents the largest performed to date to investigate mosaicism in patients with PIDs, revealing that it affects approximately 25% of enrolled families. Our results might have serious consequences regarding treatment and genetic counseling and reinforce the use of next-generation sequencing-based methods in the routine analyses of PIDs.

The Castilian Spanish version of the Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR).

The Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR) is a new parent/patient reported outcome measure that enables a thorough assessment of the disease status in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We report the results of the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the parent and patient versions of the JAMAR in the Castilian Spanish language. The reading comprehension of the questionnaire was tested in 10 JIA parents and patients. Each participating centre was asked to collect demographic, clinical data and the JAMAR in 100 consecutive JIA patients or all consecutive patients seen in a 6-month period and to administer the JAMAR to 100 healthy children and their parents. The statistical validation phase explored descriptive statistics and the psychometric issues of the JAMAR: the three Likert assumptions, floor/ceiling effects, internal consistency, Cronbach's alpha, interscale correlations, test-retest reliability and construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity). A total of 526 JIA patients (8.6% systemic, 49.4% oligoarticular, 18.2% RF negative polyarthritis, 23.8% other categories) and 78 healthy children, were enrolled in six centres. The JAMAR components discriminated well healthy subjects from JIA patients. All JAMAR components revealed good psychometric performances. In conclusion, the Castilian Spanish version of the JAMAR is a valid tool for the assessment of children with JIA and is suitable for use both in routine clinical practise and clinical research.

The Colombian Spanish version of the Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR).

The Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR) is a new parent/patient-reported outcome measure that enables a thorough assessment of the disease status in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We report the results of the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the parent and patient versions of the JAMAR in the Colombian Spanish language. The reading comprehension of the questionnaire was tested in ten JIA parents and patients. Each participating centre was asked to collect demographic, clinical data and the JAMAR in 100 consecutive JIA patients or all consecutive patients seen in a 6-month period and to administer the JAMAR to 100 healthy children and their parents. The statistical validation phase explored descriptive statistics and the psychometric issues of the JAMAR: the three Likert assumptions, floor/ceiling effects, internal consistency, Cronbach's alpha, interscale correlations, and construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity). A total of 22 JIA patients (9.1% systemic, 27.3% RF-negative polyarthritis, 36.4% enthesitis-related arthritis, 27.2% other categories) were enrolled in the paediatric centre of Bogota. All JAMAR components revealed good psychometric performances. In conclusion, the Colombian Spanish version of the JAMAR is a valid tool for the assessment of children with JIA and is suitable for use both in routine clinical practice and clinical research.

Acquired and Innate Immunity Impairment and Severe Disseminated Mycobacterium genavense Infection in a Patient With a NF-κB1 Deficiency.

Background: NF-κB1 is a master regulator of both acquired and innate responses. NFKB1 loss-of-function mutations elicit a wide clinical phenotype with asymptomatic individuals at one end of the spectrum and patients with common variable immunodeficiency, combined immunodeficiency or autoinflammation at the other. Impairment of acquired and innate immunity and disseminated Mycobacterium genavense infection expands the clinical and immunological phenotype of NF-κB1 deficiency. Objective: Functional and molecular characterization of a patient with a novel phenotype of NF-κB1 deficiency. Methods: Circulating T, B, dendritic cell subsets and innate or unconventional T-cells were quantified. The cytokine production in stimulated whole blood samples was assessed and molecular characterization by next generation sequencing and gene expression assays were also performed. Results: We report a patient presenting with features of combined immunodeficiency (CID) and disseminated Mycobacterium genavense infection. Sequencing of genomic DNA identified a novel synonymous mutation (c.705G > A) in NFKB1 gene which resulted in exon 8 skipping and haploinsufficiency of the NF-κB1 subunit p50. The susceptibility to atypical mycobacterial infection has not been previously reported and may be the result of a dendritic cell deficiency. A selective deficiency of circulating follicular helper T (cTFH) cells responsible for mediating the differentiation of naive B cells into memory and plasma cells was also present in the patient. It could affect the maturation of innate or unconventional T cells where NF-κB1 could also be involved. Conclusion: These findings showed that the role of NF-κB1 in humans could be critical for the development of acquired and innate immunity and further highlights the role of human T cells in anti-mycobacterial immunity.

Development and Testing of a Hybrid Measure of Muscle Strength in Juvenile Dermatomyositis for Use in Routine Care.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and test a hybrid measure of muscle strength for juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), which is based on the combination of the Manual Muscle Testing in 8 muscles (MMT-8) and the Childhood Myositis Assessment Scale (CMAS) but is more comprehensive than the former and more feasible than the latter. METHODS: The hybrid MMT-8/CMAS (hMC) is composed of all 8 items of the MMT-8 and 3 items of the CMAS: time of head lift, assessment of abdominal muscles, and floor rise. The score ranges 0-100, with 100 indicating normal muscle strength. Validation procedures were conducted using 3 large multinational patient samples, including a total of 810 JDM patients. RESULTS: The hMC revealed face and content validity, good construct validity, excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.99), and internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.94), strong responsiveness to clinical change over time (standardized response mean = 0.8 among patients judged as improved by the caring physician), and satisfactory capacity to discriminate patients judged as being in the states of inactive disease or low, moderate, or high disease activity by the physician (P < 0.001) or patients whose parents were satisfied or not satisfied with the illness course (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The hMC was found to possess good measurement properties in a large population of patients with a wide range of disease activity and severity. The new tool, which is primarily intended for use in routine clinical care, should be further tested in other populations of patients evaluated prospectively.

Adalimumab for the treatment of refractory noninfectious paediatric uveitis.

To report the experience of our center with the use of adalimumab (ADA) for the treatment of severe refractory noninfectious paediatric uveitis. The study is a retrospective case series of all paediatric patients with refractory uveitis who were treated with ADA at the Paediatric Uveitis Unit of our center from 2008 to 2015. We present 12 patients (6 Juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis, 4 idiopathic panuveitis, 1 early-onset sarcoidosis-associated panuveitis, and 1 intermediate uveitis), with uveitis in 19/24 eyes. Once ADA therapy was started, all the patients presented improved activity according to Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) criteria. Nine out of the 12 patients had structural damage before ADA could be started: cataract (n = 4), glaucoma (n = 2), cystic macular edema (n = 1), exudative retinal detachment (n = 1), and optic disk edema (n = 5). Visual acuity improved or maintained stable in 17/19 affected eyes, and only 2 eyes decreased its visual acuity because of structural damage, which was already present before ADA therapy. In our experience, ADA presents a good safety profile and is efficacious in the treatment of paediatric patients with different forms of refractory noninfectious uveitis.

Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin in Refractory Juvenile Dermatomyositis.

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is the most common form of juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. We report a child with steroid-dependent JDM refractory to hydroxychloroquine and subcutaneous methotrexate who experienced systemic reactions to intravenous immunoglobulin and was successfully treated with subcutaneous immunoglobulin. This form of therapy has been shown to be safe, has a very low rate of adverse effects, does not require hospital admission, reduces the number of missed school days, and decreases the costs associated with treatment.