Background Eighty-eight patients suffering from juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) with inadequate response to methotrexate therapy (MTX) have received etanercept +/- MTX since the year 2000 in Vienna. They were retrospectively analysed. They were suffering from various categories of JIA (systemic JIA, persistent or extended oligoarthritis, seronegative or seropositive polyarthritis or from psoriatic arthritis). The data were collected in three pediatric outpatient units.

Results The mean age at diagnosis was 8,1±4,5 years (from 8,9 months to 16,2 years), there were 25 boys (28,4%) and 63 girls (71,6%) (ratio 1: 2,5). The mean period of time from diagnosis until the onset of a therapy with methotrexate (MTX) was 1,6 years (sd ± 2,1, from 0,8 months to 11,1 years). All patients were treated with MTX for 3,1 years (sd ± 2,8, from 3,0 months to 12,8 years). Currently 27 patients are still treated with MTX.

The mean period of time from diagnosis to etanercept therapy was 4,5 years (sd ± 3,5, from 4,0 months to 15,0 years). Patients were treated with Etanercept for 1,7 years (sd ± 1,0, from 1,0 months to 4,1 years). In september 2011, there were still 62 patients (70,5%) treated with Etanercept.

20 patients (32,3%) are in remission, 16 (25,8%) have active arthritis, 3 (4,8%) have at least one tender joint (POM = pain of motion), 16 (25,8%) have at least one limited joint (LOM = limitation of motion) and 7 (11,3%) could not be evaluated.

At the time of diagnosis there were 1 – 38 joints (mean 12,7) affected, at the time of onset of the MTX therapy there were 1 – 38 joints (mean 8,3) affected.

In september 2011, there is a significant decrease in the number of affected joints (0 – 22 joints; mean 3,0; p<0,05).

Conclusions Our data show that the patients showed a remission after an average of 6,1 months (sd ± 7,1; 0,7 months – 2,8 years). 33 (37,5%) of these patients are stilll in remission (16 on therapy with etanercept, 4 on therapy with etanercept + MTX, one on therapy with MTX and 12 are off therapy) and this status persists for 2,4±1,2 years after withdrawal of etanercept.

Disclosure of Interest None Declared