Project description:Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease of childhood, with JIA-associated uveitis its most common extra-articular manifestation. JIA-associated uveitis is a potentially sight-threatening condition and thus carries a considerable risk of morbidity. The aetiology of the condition is autoimmune in nature with the predominant involvement of CD4(+) T cells. However, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear, particularly regarding interplay between genetic and environmental factors. JIA-associated uveitis comes in several forms, but the most common presentation is of the chronic anterior uveitis type. This condition is usually asymptomatic and thus screening for JIA-associated uveitis in at-risk patients is paramount. Early detection and treatment aims to stop inflammation and prevent the development of complications leading to visual loss, which can occur due to both active disease and burden of disease treatment. Visually disabling complications of JIA-associated uveitis include cataracts, glaucoma, band keratopathy and macular oedema. There is a growing body of evidence for the early introduction of systemic immunosuppressive therapies in order to reduce topical and systemic glucocorticoid use. This includes more traditional treatments, such as methotrexate, as well as newer biological therapies. This review highlights the epidemiology of JIA-associated uveitis, the underlying pathogenesis and how affected patients may present. The current guidelines and criteria for screening, diagnosis and monitoring are discussed along with approaches to management.
Project description:To describe recent evidence from the literature pertaining to juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis.Uveitis is most common in extended oligoarticular JIA. A significant number of patients already have ocular complications at time of diagnosis of uveitis. Risk factors for complications include either abnormally high or low intraocular pressure, posterior synechiae, male sex, temporal proximity to diagnosis of arthritis and topical corticosteroid use. Use of immunosuppressive agents significantly reduces ocular complications. Aggressive perioperative control of intraocular inflammation is necessary for successful cataract surgery with lens implantation. Controlled clinical trials are under way to assess the efficacy of biologic agents in JIA-associated uveitis. Long-term safety, however, is still unknown.JIA-associated uveitis carries significant ocular morbidity that lasts well into adulthood. Treatment with immunosuppressive agents can reduce the risk of ocular complications. Biologic agents hold promise in the treatment of JIA-associated uveitis, but require long-term data to assess their safety.
Project description:Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common childhood rheumatic disease. The development of associated uveitis represents a significant risk for serious complications, including permanent loss of vision. Initiation of early treatment is important for controlling JIA-uveitis, but the disease can appear asymptomatically, making frequent screening procedures necessary for patients at risk. As our understanding of pathogenic drivers is currently incomplete, it is difficult to assess which JIA patients are at risk of developing uveitis. Identification of specific risk factors for JIA-associated uveitis is an important field of research, and in this review, we highlight the genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic factors identified as potential uveitis risk factors in JIA, and discuss therapeutic strategies.
Project description:BackgroundIdiopathic paediatric uveitis (IPU) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis associated uveitis (JIA-U) are the two most common entities in paediatric uveitis. This study addressed the possible association of IPU and JIA-U with genes that had been shown earlier to be associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.MethodsWe carried out a case-control association study involving 286 IPU, 134 JIA-U patients and 743 healthy individuals. A total of 84 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 60 genes were selected for this study. The MassARRAY platform and iPLEX Gold Genotyping Assay was used to genotype 83 candidate SNPs and the remaining SNP (rs27293) was analysed using the TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assay.ResultsNo evidence was found for an association of the candidate polymorphisms tested with IPU. Six SNPs (PRM1/rs11074967, JAZF1/rs73300638, IRF5/rs2004640, MEFV/rs224217, PSMA3/rs2348071 and PTPN2/rs7234029) showed an association with JIA-U (p<1.0×10-2).ConclusionOur findings showed associations of six SNPs (PRM1/rs11074967, JAZF1/rs73300638, IRF5/rs2004640, MEFV/rs224217, PSMA3/rs2348071 and PTPN2/rs7234029) with JIA-U. No association was detected between the 84 tested SNPs and IPU.
Project description:Juvenile idiopathic arthritis-related uveitis is the most common type of uveitis in childhood and one of the main causes of visual impairment in children. The introduction of biological treatment has widened the range of therapeutic options for children with uveitis refractory to standard nonbiologic immunosuppressants. Data from clinical trials suggest that both adalimumab and infliximab have demonstrated effectiveness and safety in open-label studies, although no large, randomized, controlled trials have been reported so far. The role of etanercept in treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis-related uveitis is not yet well defined. In our experience, anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy has been shown to be more effective than steroids and/or methotrexate in treating uveitis. Up to now, tumor necrosis factor blocking compounds have been reserved for the treatment of the most severe cases of refractory uveitis, and larger prospective clinical trials are required in order to better assess the safety of these new compounds.
Project description:Pediatric patients with early onset (before the age of 6 years), antinuclear antibody positive, oligoarticular or polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and some children with no arthritis may develop chronic, anterior uveitis. Recent recommendations insist on the need to perform slit lamp examination every 3 months for at least 5 years in early onset JIA patients in order to diagnose uveitis before complications develop. Local steroid therapy is usually the first-line treatment. However, in patients requiring steroid eye drops for several months, systemic immunomodulatory therapy is indicated. Methotrexate (MTX) is then prescribed in most cases; however, some patients also need anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody therapy and, in some cases, other biologics to control uveitis and avoid long-term ocular damage. Expert ophthalmologists and pediatricians must be involved in taking care of such patients. Immunomodulatory treatment must not be too easily interrupted and may even be intensified in some cases, particularly if there is a need for optimal disease control before ophthalmologic surgery. In good responders to MTX and/or biologics, treatment must be maintained at least 1 year, possibly even 2 years after achieving remission before tapering treatment intensity.
Project description:BackgroundJuvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis is a chronic paediatric ocular inflammatory condition that can result in visual impairment. Adalimumab, a tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitor, effectively controls joint and eye inflammation; however, its long-term use may increase the risk of adverse health outcomes and place an undue financial burden on the patient and healthcare system given its high cost. There is great interest for patients to stop adalimumab following remission due to these reasons but there is a lack of information on the ability to maintain control after discontinuing adalimumab.MethodsThe Adalimumab in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-associated Uveitis Trial (ADJUST) is a multicentred, international trial that will randomise 118 participants aged 2 years and older with controlled JIA-associated uveitis to either continue adalimumab or discontinue adalimumab and receive a placebo. The trial will compare the time to uveitis recurrence between the two groups over 12 months. All participants will receive the standard weight-based dose of adalimumab or placebo: 20 mg biweekly (if < 30 kg) or 40 mg biweekly (if ≥ 30 kg).DiscussionThis is the first randomised controlled trial to assess the efficacy of discontinuing adalimumab after demonstrating control of JIA-associated uveitis for at least 12 months. The results of ADJUST will provide information on clinical outcomes to guide clinicians in their decision-making regarding discontinuation of adalimumab.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03816397. Registered on 25 January 2019. EudraCT 2019-000412-29. Registered on 17 January 2019.