2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Treatment of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Therapeutic Approaches for Non- Systemic Polyarthritis, Sacroiliitis, and Enthesitis

To develop treatment recommendations for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis manifesting as non- systemic polyarthritis, sacroiliitis, or enthesitis.Methods. The Patient/Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes (PICO) questions were developed and recined by members of the guideline development teams. A systematic review was conducted to compile evidence for the benefits and harms associated with treatments for these conditions. GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology was used to rate the quality of evidence. A group consensus process was conducted among the Voting Panel to generate the nal recommendations and grade their strength. A Parent and Patient Panel used a similar consensus approach to provide patient/caregiver preferences for key questions. Thirty- nine recommendations were developed (8 strong and 31 conditional). The quality of supporting evidence was very low or low for 90% of the recommendations. Recommendations are provided for the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, disease- modifying antirheumatic drugs, biologics, and intraarticular and oral glucocorticoids. Recommendations for the use of physical and occupational therapy are also provided. Specific recommendations for polyarthritis address general medication use, initial and subsequent treatment, and adjunctive therapies. Good disease control, with therapeutic escalation to achieve low disease activity, was recommended. The sacroiliitis and enthesitis recommendations primarily address initial therapy and adjunctive therapies. This guideline provides direction for clinicians, caregivers, and patients making treatment decisions. Clinicians, caregivers, and patients should use a shared decision- making process that accounts for patients' values, preferences, and comorbidities. These recommendations should not be used to limit or deny access to therapies.

2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Screening, Monitoring, and Treatment of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis­Associated Uveitis

To develop recommendations for the screening, monitoring, and treatment of uveitis in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).Methods. Pediatric rheumatologists, ophthalmologists with expertise in uveitis, patient representatives, and methodologists generated key clinical questions to be addressed by this guideline. This was followed by a system-atic literature review and rating of the available evidence according to the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). A group consensus process was used to compose the nal recommendations and grade their strength as conditional or strong. Due to a lack of literature with good quality of evidence, recommendations were formulated on the basis of available evidence and a consensus expert opinion. Regular ophthalmic screening of children with JIA is recom-mended because of the risk of uveitis, and the frequency of screening should be based on individual risk factors.

Long-term breastfeeding influences disease activity in a low-income juvenile idiopathic arthritis cohort.

To determine the influence of breastfeeding duration in the clinical activity of low-income juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Ninety-one JIA patients followed in Fortaleza-CE, Brazil, were cross-sectionally evaluated from May 2015 to April 2016. Breastfeeding duration was obtained by interviewing mothers. Mean age was 14.6 ± 5.2 years with 10.31 ± 3.7 years of disease duration. Polyarticular category predominated, with 39 (42.8%) patients, followed by 23 (25.3%) oligoarticular and 17 (18.7%) enthesitis-related. Forty-seven (61.8%) were receiving methotrexate isolated or combined to leflunomide, which was used by 12 (15.4%); 30 (32.9%) were on biologic DMARD with 16 (53.3%) etanercept, 8 (26.7%) adalimumab, 3 (10%) tocilizumab, and 1 (3.3%) each on infliximab, abatacept, and canakinumab. Mean(SD) CHAQ and JADAS27 were 0.37 ± 0.36 and 5.03 ± 6.1, respectively and 22 (24%) had permanent joint deformities. No family declared monthly income over US$900.00 and 32 (37.2%) earned less than US$300.00. Eighty-three (91%) were ever breastfed; over two-thirds were breastfed for more than 3 months. Those breastfed for more than 6 months had less joint deformities and a tendency to lower JADAS27 and CHAQ scores using minimally adjusted general linear or logistic models, as appropriate. Parental smoking or literacy and family income did not differ regarding breastfeeding time. This is a low-income JIA cohort with the highest breastfeeding prevalence ever reported. Breastfeeding over 6 months was associated with less disease activity.Key Point• Long-term breastfeeding benefits juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Inmunizaciones en pacientes con artritis idiopática juvenil / Immunizations in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Los pacientes con AIJ/ARJ presentan un riesgo mayor de infecciones inmunopreveni-bles, debido a su disfunción inmune, exacerbada por la actividad de su enfermedad y la terapia inmunosupresora. Las vacunas inactivadas han demostrado un perfil de seguridad adecuado en estos pacientes, por lo que no están contraindicadas, aunque su respuesta inmune puede ser inadecuada. Las vacunas vivas atenuadas, formal-mente contraindicadas, poseen una información creciente que permite evaluar su riesgo beneficio de manera individual. Por este motivo, debemos procurar mantener el calendario de vacunas actualizado y complementado, evitando el retraso en esque-mas de vacunación y poniéndolo al día lo antes posible, con estrategias basadas en el individuo, idealmente antes de iniciar la terapia inmunosupresora o de lo contrario durante ella. Para llevar a cabo esto debemos conocer y considerar los intervalos entre las vacunas, los esquemas acelerados, la solicitud de vacunas especiales, las aprobaciones vigentes y, finalmente, sus contraindicaciones.

Patients with JIA/JRA present a higher risk of vaccine-preventable infections, due to their immune dysfunction, exacerbated by the activity of their disease and immu-nosuppressive therapy. Inactivated vaccines have shown an adequate safety profile in these patients, so they are not contraindicated, although their immune response may be impaired. Live attenuated vaccines, formally contraindicated, have a growing information that allows to evaluate their risk benefit case by case. For this reason we must try to keep the vaccination schedule updated and supplemented, avoiding the delay in vaccination schemes and updating it as soon as possible, with taylor-based strategies, ideally before starting immunosuppressive therapy or otherwise during it. To carry out this we must manage and consider the intervals between the vaccines, the accelerated schemes, the request for special vaccines, the current approvals and, finally, their contraindications.

Estudio de prevalencia y perfil clínico de la enfermedad reumática infantil en nuestro medio / Prevalence and clinical characterization of infantile rheumatic disease in a hospital reference setting

Los reumatismos constituyen un grupo de enfermedades crónicas degenerativas frecuentes en la infancia que afectan a la calidad de vida y pueden ocasionar secuelas, además de generar un gasto importante para las familias, un coste elevado para el sistema sanitario y repercutir en la escolaridad e integración del niño. Los cursos evolutivos, pronósticos y tratamientos de las diferentes condiciones de naturaleza reumatológica son variables. Con el fin de conocer la frecuencia en nuestro medio de las diferentes entidades de debut en la infancia hemos realizado un estudio descriptivo mediante revisión de las historias clínicas de los casos ingresados en el Área de Gestión Clínica de Pediatría (AGC) del Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA) entre los años 2002 y 2017. Recogimos las variables individuales de edad, motivos de consulta, afectación articular y extraarticular, resultado de las pruebas diagnósticas, tratamientos recibidos y complicaciones. En total se incluyeron en el estudio 52 casos, siendo ampliamente predominante la artritis idiopática juvenil (AIJ), con la forma oligoarticular como la más diagnosticada (46,2% del total de la serie). Existió un predominio del género femenino (relación mujeres/hombres 1,5/1). La inflamación local fue el principal motivo de consulta (59,6%), seguida del dolor (50%), siendo la rodilla la articulación más frecuentemente afectada (63,4%). Entre las manifestaciones extraarticulares predominó la fiebre (15,4%); uveítis inicial presentaron el 7,7% de los casos, apareciendo posteriormente en el 26,9% (la mitad bilaterales). Respecto al tratamiento, todos recibieron antiinflamatorios no esteroideos, 51,9% metrotexato, 36,5% tratamiento con fármacos biológicos y 19 (36,5%) infiltraciones articulares

Rheumatisms constitute a group of chronic degenerative diseases which are common in childhood and affect the quality of life, causing significant consequences. Besides this, rheumatisms involve a substantial expenditure for the families, entail a high cost for the health system, and have a major impact on the child's schooling process and integration. The evolutionary process, prognoses and treatments options for the different conditions of the rheumatic disease are varied. For the purpose of determining the frequency of the different entities of childhood debut in our environment, we have conducted a descriptive study by means of a review of the medical records of the cases admitted to the Clinical Management Unit of Pediatrics of the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA) from 2002 to 2017. We have collected the individual variables: age, reason for consultation, joint and extra-articular affectation, result of diagnostic tests, treatment received, and complications. A total of 52 cases have been included in the study, where juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) has been observed as clearly predominant, being the oligoarticular variant the most diagnosed (46.2% of the total series). There has been a predominance of the female gender (female/male ratio 1.5/1). Local inflammation has been the main reason for consultation (59.6%), followed by pain (50%), with the knee joint most frequently affected (63.4%). Among the extra-articular manifestations, fever predominates (15.4%). Initial uveitis has been found in 7.7% of the cases, appearing later in 26.9% of them (half of these bilateral). Regarding treatments, all the patients have received non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, 51.9% methotrexate, 36.5% treatment with biological drugs, and 19 (36.5%) joint infiltrations

Uveítis complicada en artritis idiopática juvenil psoriásica de inicio tardío / Complicated uveitis in late onset juvenile idiopathic psoriatic arthritis

CASO CLÍNICO: Niña de 6 años con artritis psoriásica juvenil (APJ) y uveítis anterior bilateral complicada, presentó múltiples complicaciones que requirieron 5 procedimientos quirúrgicos. Pese al curso agresivo de la inflamación ocular, conservó una buena agudeza visual. La artritis (necesaria para el diagnóstico de APJ) apareció años después de los síntomas oculares y mostró buena respuesta inicial al adalimumab. DISCUSIÓN: El diagnóstico definitivo de APJ fue realizado años después del inicio de los síntomas. Además, la paciente conservó buena agudeza visual a pesar de su complicada evolución. Finalmente, mostró una respuesta clínica satisfactoria a la terapia con inhibidores del factor de necrosis tumoral

CASE REPORT: A 6 year-old girl with juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JPsA) and bilateral complicated anterior uveitis developed several ocular complications that required 5 surgical procedures. Despite the aggressive course of ocular inflammation, her visual acuity remained good. Arthritis (main criterion for the diagnosis of JPsA) appeared years after ocular involvement. She showed a good anti-tumour necrosis factor initial response. DISCUSSION: The definitive diagnosis of JPsA was established years after the onset of symptoms. In addition, the patient maintained a good visual acuity, despite its complicated disease course. Finally, she showed a good clinical response to adalimumab

[Current therapy of polyarticular forms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis]. / Aktuelle Therapie der polyartikulären Verlaufsform der juvenilen idiopathischen Arthritis.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease in infancy and childhood. Approximately 20 % of patients with JIA suffer from the polyarticular form of the disease, which causes a substantial disease burden and long-term sequelae. Therapeutic approaches have used steroids and conventional disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) but over the last decade new drugs have become available for the treatment of JIA, in particular biologic DMARD. This article summarizes the current therapy options for polyarticular JIA.

Artritis idiopàtica juvenil. Revisió i nous conceptes / Artritis idiopática juvenil. Revisión y nuevos conceptos / Juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Review and new concepts

L'artritis idiopàtica juvenil és la malaltia reumàtica més freqüent en la infància. Representa un grup heterogeni que inclou diferents formes de presentació d'artritis de causa desconeguda en pacients menors de 16 anys. L'etiopatogènia no és gaire coneguda, però es postula que té lloc com a conseqüència d'un estímul desconegut sobre un individu genèticament predisposat. L'aparició de nous tractaments els darrers anys ha significat un gran avenç en el tracta-ment, ja que s'han aconseguit grans millores en el pronòs-tic i la qualitat de vida. És necessari que tots els pediatres coneguin les característiques més importants de la malaltia i dels tractaments utilitzats, per tal que puguin participar de manera coordinada amb l'equip de reumatologia pe-diàtrica en l'atenció d'aquests pacients

La artritis idiopática juvenil es la enfermedad reumática más frecuente en la infancia. Representa un grupo heterogéneo que incluye diferentes formas de presentación de artritis de causa desconocida en pacientes menores de 16 años. La etiopatogenia no es muy conocida, pero se postula se desarrolla consecuencia de un estímulo desconocido sobre un individuo genéticamente predispuesto. La aparición de nuevos tratamientos en los últimos años ha significado un gran avance en el tratamiento, ya que se han logrado grandes mejoras en el pronóstico y la calidad de vida. Es necesario que todos los pediatras conozcan las características más importantes de la enfermedad y los tratamientos utilizados, para que puedan participar de manera coordinada con el equipo de reumatología pediátrica en la atención de estos pacientes (AU)

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common rheumatic disease in childhood. It represents a diverse group that includes different forms of presentation of arthritis of unknown cause in patients under 16 years. The pathogenesis is not very well known, but it is postulated that it develops as a result of unknown stimuli on a genetically predisposed individual. The emergence of new treatments in recent years has meant a breakthrough in treatment, since they have made great improvements in the prognosis and quality of life. It is necessary that all pediatricians know the most important characteristics of the disease, so they can participate in a coordinated manner with the paediatric rheumatology team, in the care of these patients (AU)

Sibling Exposure and Risk of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Susceptibility to juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is presumed to be determined by both genes and environment. However, the environmental factors remain largely unknown. The hygiene hypothesis suggests that exposure to siblings, as a marker of exposure to microbes in early life, may protect against the development of later immune disorders. Some prior evidence suggests this may also be true for JIA. The present study was undertaken to test this hypothesis in detail. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the role of sibling exposure in JIA risk within the Childhood Arthritis Risk Factor Identification Study JIA case-hospital control sample (302 cases and 676 controls) from Victoria, Australia. RESULTS: We found that, compared to being an only child, having any siblings was protective against JIA, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.46 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.28-0.74) (P = 0.001). The protective association appeared to increase with increasing number of siblings (e.g., for ≥3 siblings, adjusted OR 0.25 [95% CI 0.13-0.48], P < 0.001). A protective association of siblings was also observed when we considered cumulative sibling years by age 6 (e.g., for ≥3 years of exposure versus no exposure, adjusted OR 0.49 [95% CI 0.30-0.79], P = 0.003). We also compared cases to a second control sample (n = 341) collected from the community and weighted to represent the child population of Victoria. Data remained supportive of an association between sibling exposure and protection against JIA, particularly for exposure to younger siblings. CONCLUSION: Increased exposure to siblings is associated with a reduced risk of disease in our sample. This suggests that increased microbial exposure in childhood may confer protection against the development of JIA.

Infrecuente presentación de artritis idiopática juvenil y hepatitis autoinmune / Unusual presentation of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and autoimmune hepatitis

La coexistencia de hepatitis autoinmune y artritis idiopática juvenil es poco frecuente. Presentamos el caso de una niña de 18 meses, cuyo primer dato de enfermedad fue una tortícolis como manifestación de una subluxación atlantoaxoidea. Tres meses después reconsultó por artritis bilateral de rodilla y se le diagnosticó de artritis idiopática juvenil. Debido a una elevación mantenida de enzimas hepáticas, una hipergammaglobulinemia y anticuerpos antinucleares a títulos altos, se sospechó de una hepatitis autoinmune concomitante

The coexistence of autoimmune hepatitis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis is very rare. This is the case of an 18 month old female patient whose first sign of disease was torticollis due to an underlying atlanto-axial subluxation. Three months later, bilateral knee arthritis developed and she was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Throughout the disease a persistent elevation of liver enzymes was noted, combined with positive antinuclear antibodies and hypergammaglobulinemia, reaching the diagnosis of concomitant autoimmune hepatitis

Autoimmune Phenotype in Patients With Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Antecedentes y objetivo: Las enfermedades autoinmunes se presentan asociadas, con una alta incidencia, en los pacientes con inmunodeficiencia común variable (IDCV), respecto a la población normal. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir los hechos clínicos del fenotipo autoinmune en pacientes con IDCV. Métodos: Se revisaron las historias clínicas de todos los pacientes diagnosticados de IDCV del Medical Center Hospital de Teherán en el periodo de 2000-2010. Los pacientes fueron clasificados en dos grupos: con y sin enfermedades autoinmunes asociadas. Resultados: De los 52 pacientes estudiados, un 26.9% (14 pacientes) habían mostrado al menos una manifestación de enfermedad autoinmune durante el tiempo del estudio. Las citopenias autoinmunes y la artritis reumatoide juvenil fueron las manifestaciones más frecuentes en nuestra serie. Encontramos en nuestros pacientes asociaciones significativas entre enfermedades infiltrativas polilinfocíticas (p=0.017), incremento de niveles de IgM sérica (p<0.001) y disminución de cifras de IgE (p=0.04) con desarrollo de autoinmunidad, así como una disminución de las células B memoria (p<0.001). Conclusión: La autoinmunidad puede considerarse una de las manifestaciones iniciales en los pacientes con IDCV, por lo que se aconseja explorar el sistema inmunológico humoral mediante test in vitro, en aquellos pacientes con historias de infecciones de repetición. Por otra parte la presencia de enfermedades infiltrativas polilinfocíticas y la disminución de las células B memoria en pacientes con IDCV, pueden predisponer al desarrollo de una enfermedad autoinmune (AU)

Background and objective: Autoimmune disorders occur with a higher incidence in common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) patients than in the general population. To describe the clinical features of the autoimmune phenotype in patients with CVID. Methods: The hospital records of all diagnosed CVID patients referred to the Children’s Medical Center Hospital in Tehran, Iran between 2000 and 2010 were reviewed. Patients were also classified according to the presence or absence of autoimmune disease. Results: Of 52 patients studied, 26.9% (n=14) had shown at least 1 autoimmune manifestation during the study period. Autoimmune cytopenias and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis were the most common form of autoimmunity in our series. Autoimmunity was significantly associated with polyclonal lymphocytic infiltrative disorders (P=.017), increased serum Immunoglobulin (Ig) M levels (P<.001), decreased IgE values (P=.04) and diminished switched memory B-cell count (P<.001). Conclusions: Because autoimmunity is one of the first manifestations in CVID, humoral immune system tests should be considered in autoimmune patients with a history of recurrent infection. The presence of polyclonal lymphocytic infiltrative disorders and decreased switched memory B-cells may predispose CVID patients to autoimmunity (AU)

Helminth infection does not reduce risk for chronic inflammatory disease in a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Parasitic helminth infections can suppress symptoms of allergy, type 1 diabetes, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease in animal models. We analyzed data from a large, population-based cohort study to determine whether common childhood enterobiasis protects against these diseases. METHODS: We collected information on individual prescriptions filled for the drug mebendazole against Enterobius vermicularis for all children born in Denmark 1995-2008 from the National Register of Medicinal Product Statistics (n = 924,749; age 0-14 years); 132,383 of these children (14%) filled a prescription for mebendazole, 102,482 of the children (11%) had a household peer who was registered with a filled mebendazole prescription, and the remaining 689,884 children (75%) comprised the reference group. Children diagnosed with asthma, type 1 diabetes, juvenile arthritis, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease were identified from the National Patient Registry. We used Poisson regression to estimate confounder-adjusted incidence rate ratios for first in- or outpatient hospital diagnosis of chronic inflammatory disease according to history of mebendazole treatment prescribed to children in the study. RESULTS: Chronic inflammatory disease was diagnosed in 10,352 children during 6.4 million person-years of follow-up. The incidence rate ratios was 1.07 for asthma (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.13), 1.05 for type 1 diabetes (95% CI: 0.79-1.12), 1.13 for juvenile arthritis (95% CI: 0.94-1.37), 0.77 for ulcerative colitis (95% CI: 0.41-1.46), and 1.44 for Crohn's disease (95% CI: 0.82-2.53). Results were not modified by number of treatments or age at treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Based on a population-based analysis, enterobiasis does not reduce risk for asthma, type 1 diabetes, arthritis, or inflammatory bowel disease.

Possible environmental determinants of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Like other autoimmune diseases, including adult RA, risk of developing juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is thought to be determined by a complex combination of genetic and environmental factors. Although some predisposing JIA genes are now being identified, research aimed at identifying environmental influences lags behind most other autoimmune conditions. Here we review research to date, from which some evidence has been generated to support a role for breastfeeding, infection and maternal smoking in determining JIA risk. We also propose further hypotheses worthy of testing, based on knowledge acquired for other autoimmune diseases. These include the role of vitamin D and sun exposure, and the role of early-life infection ('the hygiene hypothesis') in determining risk. Finally, we discuss future directions including practical study designs to more comprehensively test hypotheses and provide new insight into this important area of research.

A gender perspective on the extent to which mothers and fathers each take responsibility for care of a child with high and intermediate imperforate anus.

Imperforate anus is a malformation of the child's anus. Parents' experiences of responsibility for care of the child may differ. The aim of this study was to evaluate a gender perspective on the extent to which mothers and fathers each take responsibility for the care of a child with high and intermediate imperforate anus. Parents of children with imperforate anus and two control groups of children and parents participated. Data collection with questionnaires focusing on responsibility was performed. In conclusion, our study revealed additional evidence of unevenly divided parental responsibility for care of a child with a chronic condition. The mothers in this study were shown to be the primary caregiver.

The child with arthritis in the school setting.

Arthritis is a condition often associated with the elderly. However, arthritis affects approximately 275,000 children nationwide. Symptoms may vary from one swollen joint to multiply affected joints coupled with fatigue, fever, and rash. Its effect on the school-age child can range from missing a few days of school per year to hospitalizations requiring tutoring to keep up with missed schoolwork. Other issues include the social impact of medications and their side effects, noncompliance, frequent doctor's visits interfering with school and afterschool activities, and not being able to keep up with peers. The financial impact of multiple copayments for office visits and medications and the stress associated with work absence puts a strain on parents. The school nurse recognizes how these factors can affect the academic success of children with a chronic disease and can provide care that will assist students and families address and cope with these concerns.

How do parents of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) perceive their therapies?

BACKGROUND: Complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies are commonly used by pediatric patients with chronic medical conditions. Little is known about parents' perceptions of these therapies. This study describes the views of parents of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) regarding conventional and CAM therapies. METHODS: Parents of children with JIA seen at a pediatric rheumatology clinic were surveyed between June 1 and July 31, 2007. Questionnaires asked about patients' use of over 75 therapies in the past 30 days, their perceived helpfulness (0 = not helpful; 3 = very helpful), perceived side effects (0 = none; 3 = severe), and whether each therapy would be recommended to other patients with JIA (Yes, No, Not sure). RESULTS: Questionnaires were returned by 52/76 (68%) parents; patients' average age was 10.9 years and 87% were Caucasian. Medications were used by 45 (88%) patients; heat (67%) and extra rest (54%) were also commonly used. CAM therapies were used by 48 (92%), e.g., massage (54%), vitamins and other supplements (54%), avoiding foods that worsened pain (35%) and stress management techniques (33%). Among the therapies rated by 3 or more parents, those that scored 2.5 or higher on helpfulness were: biologic medications, methotrexate, naproxen, wheelchairs, orthotics, heat, vitamins C and D, music, support groups and prayer. CAM therapies had 0 median side effects and parents would recommend many of them to other families. CONCLUSION: JIA patients use diverse therapies. Parents report that many CAM therapies are helpful and would recommend them to other parents. These data can be used in counseling patients and guiding future research.

Self-investigation to explore the impact of juvenile arthritis on adolescent life: a case-study.

OBJECTIVE: To gain insight into the personal experience and feelings of an adolescent with a chronic disease. METHODS: We report on the application of the self-confrontation method (SCM), illustrated by a case-example of an adolescent with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. RESULTS: Although taken at face value she was not impeded by the arthritis, through self-assessment with the SCM this adolescent acknowledged and addressed the emotional struggle to keep the arthritis secret and to constantly test the physical limits of her body. After the process of self-reflection, the adolescent showed a better integration of her arthritis experiences into her life story. CONCLUSION: With the SCM the adolescent could explore her own functioning and well-being on a manifest, as well as on an emotional and motivational level. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: In future research, by studying the self-investigations of a group of adolescents with chronic diseases, common risk factors for the development of a stable identity during adolescence might be identified. In clinical care, the SCM promotes self-knowledge, allowing for an intrinsic motivation to deal with the emotional impact of the disease.

Quantitative histological changes of repeated antigen-induced arthritis in the temporomandibular joints of rabbits treated with intra-articular corticosteroid.

BACKGROUND: To compare the inflammatory changes of antigen-induced temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthritis in rabbits by different histological methods and to evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of intra-articular corticosteroid injections histologically. METHODS: 35 rabbits (10 weeks old) pre-sensibilized with ovalbumin were divided into three groups: a placebo group of five (saline), an arthritis group of 15 (ovalbumin) and a steroid-treated group of 15 (ovalbumin + corticosteroid). Additionally, a group of seven rabbits receiving no sensibilization with ovalbumin and no intra-articular injections served as controls. Histomorphometry of the inflammatory changes in the subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT) of the TMJ included: (i) semi-quantitative (S-Q) scoring of inflammation and synovial proliferation, (ii) thickness measurements and fractional surface and (iii) stereological quantitative assessment of volume and plasma cells in thick sections of the SSCT by an optical fractionator. RESULTS: The histomorphometry showed synovial proliferation in both the arthritis and the steroid groups. The plasma cell count obtained by the optical fractionator was significantly reduced when treating the TMJ with corticosteroids. However, the thickness of the synovial lining and volume of the SSCT as well as S-Q scoring of inflammation showed no difference between the arthritis and the steroid-treated groups. The optical fractionator proved a superior tool compared to S-Q assessments. CONCLUSION: Counting of plasma cells in the SSCT showed that corticosteroids reduced the inflammation, but did not eliminate it. Semiquantitative scoring of synovial proliferation and inflammation demonstrated low sensitivity regarding changes in immunomodulation in antigen-induced arthritis compared to stereological quantitative estimations using an optical fractionator.