Assessment of Disease Activity in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Recently Juvenile idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) Disease Activity Score (JADAS) was developed to measure disease activity. There is still discussion what additional measures should be included in such score. OBJECTIVES: To determine associations between JADAS and clinical and laboratory findings. Methods. Data from 34 patients with JIA were recorded from one visit, including JADAS, joint assessment, morning stiffness, Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ), C-reactive protein, antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor (RF), degree of radiologic and ultrasonographic changes. Correlation of the JADAS with above mentioned measures was examined. Physican's, parent's and patient's 10-cm VAS was statisticaly analysed. Pearson's and Spearman's correlations, T-test was performed using Windows Excel 2007 and SPSS 14. RESULTS: For the JADAS the strongest correlation was with patient's VAS for wellbeing and active joint count; moderate with physician's VAS for disease activity, parent's VAS for wellbeing, patient's VAS for pain, CHAQ, morning stiffness, radiologic changes; week with RF. There where no statistical differencies between physician's, parent's and patient's VAS measures (p>0,5). CONCLUSIONS: 1. Active joint count and patient's VAS are the most important measures in assessing disease acitivity. 2. CHAQ, morning stiffness, radiologic changes are also important in assessing disease activity and some of them could be included in disease activity score. 3. There where no statistical differencies between different VAS, but there where tendency for the parents to overrate child's disease activity 2 times more than patients.