Features of physical development in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Oshlyanska O.A., Melanchuk N.A.

• National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education P.L. Shupyka Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Kyiv

Summary. Aim. To study the influence of the current course of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) on the physical development of sick children. Materials and methods. the statistical analysis of the physical development status in 67 children from 1 to 18 years old was conducted, using the correlation, multiva­riate parametric me­thod, according to the medical documentation. Results. Among the exa­mined children, no significant growth disturbances were noted. Body mass index did not differ from the norm for healthy children. No significant decrease in linear growth was observed in the exa­mined children, which differed from those of previous researchers. The height of patients with JIA did not depend on the activity of the disease (r=–0.37). In long-term infants, JADAS27 was less likely to be administered to basic disease-modifying therapy (BDMT) for up to 3 months from the debut of the disease, an increase in the dose of metho­trexate more conducive to the norma­lization of physical development, and the appointment of intraarticular injections of glucocorticoids (GC) does not have a significant effect on the rate of linear growth of the child. With high disease activity, the combination of BDMT + systemic GC in the first 6 months from the debut was worse than BDMT + adalimu­mab and BDMT + tocilizumab. Conclusions. In recent years, a decrease in the degree of growth retardation with syste­mic JIA (10.44%) in comparison with historical control (49%) is noted. The appointment of bio­logical therapy leads to the fact that patients with a more unfavorable course have no greater degree of delayed physical deve­lopment than patients with less aggressive course of the disease (which receive only BDMT).