Table 2 Long‐term outcome after median 9 years in comparison with trial data of 61 juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients who participated in a randomised placebo‐controlled sulfasalazine trial¹³*.

Variable	Trial baseline	End of trial (24 weeks)	Follow‐up (median 9 years)	Differences between end of trial and follow‐up p value
General assessments
Active joints (range 0 to 71)	5 (3 to 11)	2 (1 to 7)	2 (0 to 6)	NS
Limited joints (range 0 to 67)†	4 (1 to 7)	2 (1 to 5)	5 (2 to 12)	<0.001
Physician's score of disease activity (range 0 to 5)‡	3 (3 to 4)	2 (1 to 3)	2 (1 to 3)	NS
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate mm/h	27 (11 to 43)	11 (6 to 22)	8 (5 to 22)	NS
C‐reactive protein mg/l	6 (1 to 29)	2 (1 to 11)	2 (1 to 6)	NS
No. (%) of patients with
No active joints	0	14 (23%)	16 (26%)	NS
No limited joints	6 (10%)	9 (15%)	6 (10%)	NS
>4 active joints	36 (59%)	20 (33%)	18 (30%)	NS
>4 limited joints	26 (43%)	18 (30%)	33 (54%)	<0.001

*Values are given in median and interquartile range (IQR 25 to 75%) or number and percentage as indicated; †limited joints = joints with limitation in range of motion;¹⁷ ‡PGAS: 0 = none; 1+ = very low; 2+ = low; 3+ = moderate; 4+ = active; 5+ = very active.