Table 1.
Characteristics of school-aged JIA patients recorded in the years 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015
| 2000 | 2003 | 2006 | 2009 | 2012 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of patients | 1463 | 2339 | 3020 | 3526 | 3722 | 5879 |
| Age, years | 12.3 ± 3.2 | 12.6 ± 3.3 | 12.7 ± 3.4 | 12.6 ± 3.3 | 13.7 ± 2.5 | 13.1 ± 3.3 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | ─ | 19.4 ± 3.8 | 19.4 ± 3.9 | 19.4 ± 4.8 | 19.7 ± 2.8 | 19.1 ± 3.2 |
| Female, no. (%) | 898 (61.4) | 1464 (62.4) | 1901 (62.9) | 2246 (63.7) | 2374 (63.8) | 3844 (65.4) |
| Disease duration, years | 4.9 ± 3.6 | 5.5 ± 3.3 | 5.3 ± 3.5 | 5.1 ± 3.3 | 5.5 ± 3.6 | 5.9 ± 4.0 |
| Age at disease onset, years | 7.4 ± 4.1 | 7.7 ± 4.2 | 7.7 ± 4.3 | 7.8 ± 4.2 | 8.5 ± 4.2 | 7.9 ± 4.4 |
| JIA category, no. (%) | ||||||
| RF-positive polyarthritis | 51 (3.5) | 59 (2.5) | 65 (2.2) | 99 (2.8) | 114 (3.1) | 145 (2.5) |
| RF-negative polyarthritis | 206 (14.1) | 9 (12.3) | 461 (15.3) | 495 (14.0) | 645 (17.3) | 1084 (18.4) |
| Systemic JIA | 105 (7.2) | 127 (5.4) | 150 (5.0) | 164 (4.7) | 128 (3.4) | 264 (4.5) |
| Persistent oligoarthritis | 526 (36.0) | 943 (40.2) | 1238 (41.0) | 1637 (46.4) | 1479 (39.7) | 2165 (36.9) |
| Extended oligoarthritis | 140 (9.6) | 157 (6.7) | 180 (6.0) | 225 (6.4) | 349 (9.4) | 652 (11.1) |
| Psoriatic arthritis | 133 (9.1) | 254 (10.8) | 275 (9.1) | 234 (6.6) | 225 (6.0) | 342 (5.8) |
| Enthesitis-related arthritis | 196 (13.4) | 400 (17.0) | 528 (17.5) | 570 (16.2) | 664 (17.8) | 1052 (17.9) |
| Unclassified JIA | 106 (7.2) | 110 (4.7) | 123 (4.0) | 102 (2.9) | 118 (3.2) | 175 (2.9) |
| cJADAS-10 | 5.8 ± 5.5 | 4.3 ± 4.7 | 4.3 ± 4.8 | 4.0 ± 4.6 | 4.0 ± 4.7 | 4.0 ± 4.7 |
| PGA scoreφ | 1.7 ± 1.7 | 1.3 ± 1.7 | 1.4 ± 1.7 | 1.3 ± 1.7 | 1.4 ± 1.8 | 1.2 ± 1.8 |
| Inactive disease*, no. (%) | 429 (30.0) | 952 (41.4) | 1229 (41.3) | 1444 (42.6) | 1423 (39.8) | 3130 (54.6) |
| No. of joints with active disease | 3.2 ± 5.7 | 1.6 ± 3.4 | 1.6 ± 3.6 | 1.5 ± 3.3 | 1.3 ± 3.2 | 1.1 ± 2.9 |
| ESR, mm/h | 10.7 ± 15.1 | 11.7 ± 12.5 | 12.6 ± 14.6 | 11.7 ± 12.6 | 10.1 ± 10.7 | 11.2 ± 12.8 |
| C-HAQ total score | 0.3 ± 0.5 | 0.2 ± 0.4 | 0.2 ± 0.4 | 0.2 ± 0.4 | 0.2 ± 0.4 | 0.2 ± 0.4 |
| No functional limitations†, no. (%) | 738 (51.3) | 1300 (55.8) | 1717 (58.8) | 2151 (61.4) | 2280 (61.8) | 3465 (59.9) |
| Patient-reported well-beingφ | 1.8 ± 2.1 | 1.7 ± 2.0 | 1.7 ± 2.0 | 1.6 ± 2.0 | 1.6 ± 2.1 | 1.8 ± 2.2 |
| Patient-reported painφ | 1.6 ± 2.3 | 1.6 ± 2.2 | 1.6 ± 2.2 | 1.6 ± 2.3 | 1.7 ± 2.5 | 1.8 ± 2.5 |
| Patient-reported fatigueφ | ─ | ─ | ─ | ─ | 1.5 ± 2.5 | 1.5 ± 2.5 |
| Patient-reported copingφ | 1.6 ± 0.9 | 1.6 ± 0.9 | 1.4 ± 2.1 | 1.4 ± 2.0 | 1.3 ± 2.1 | 1.4 ± 2.1 |
| Treatment in past 12 months, no. (%) | ||||||
| No systemic GCs | 1103 (78.8) | 1768 (81.3) | 2323 (85.2) | 2535 (88.5) | 2683 (89.4) | 4519 (92.4) |
| Low-dose GCs (< 0.2 mg/kg) | 244 (17.4) | 336 (15.4) | 343 (12.6) | 246 (8.6) | 258 (8.6) | 236 (4.8) |
| Combination of high-dose GCs/ | ||||||
| pulse therapy | 10 (0.7) | 11 (0.5) | 14 (0.5) | 16 (0.5) | 19 (0.5) | 29 (0.5) |
| Intra-articular GCs | 255 (18.2) | 195 (9.0) | 299 (11.0) | 317 (11.1) | 261 (8.7) | 434 (8.9) |
| Any conventional synthetic DMARD | 674 (48.9) | 1013 (48.6) | 1496 (56.0) | 1672 (54.7) | 1861 (58.0) | 1828 (30.7) |
| Any biologic DMARD | 11 (0.8) | 114 (11.3) | 295 (9.8) | 432 (14.1) | 650 (20.6) | 1140 (22.3) |
| Regular exercise in leisure time (patients aged ≥13)‡, no. (%) | ─ | ─ | 2174 (72.9) | 2677 (77.1) | 3029 (82.9) | 2409 (79.1) |
| Physical therapies, no. (%) | ||||||
| Physiotherapy | 972 (67.9) | 1299 (56.8) | 1645 (55.9) | 1714 (50.4) | 1844 (51.0) | 2830 (49.9) |
| Kinetotherapeutic bath | 132 (9.2) | 110 (4.8) | 130 (4.4) | 123 (3.6) | 96 (2.7) | 147 (2.6) |
| Occupational therapy | 119 (8.3) | 200 (8.7) | 316 (10.7) | 318 (9.3) | 381 (10.5) | 567 (10.0) |
| No physical therapy | 401 (28.0) | 903 (39.5) | 1177 (40.0) | 1557 (45.7) | 1679 (46.5) | 2687 (47.4) |
JIA juvenile idiopathic arthritis RF rheumatoid factor, cJADAS-10 10-joint clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score, PGA physician’s global assessment, ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-HAQ Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire; GC, glucocorticoid, DMARD disease-modifying antirheumatic drug
*Defined by a PGA score of zero
†Defined by a C-HAQ score of zero
φAssessed on a numerical rating scale (maximum score 10) by patients aged ≥13
‡‘daily/3–5 times a week/1–2 times a week’ vs. ‘less than once a week/never’