@article {1694, title = {Abatacept improves health-related quality of life, pain, sleep quality, and daily participation in subjects with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.}, journal = {Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken)}, volume = {62}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Nov}, pages = {1542-51}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in abatacept-treated children/adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

METHODS: In this phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, subjects with active polyarticular course JIA and an inadequate response/intolerance to >=1 disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (including biologics) received abatacept 10 mg/kg plus methotrexate (MTX) during the 4-month open-label period (period A). Subjects achieving the American College of Rheumatology Pediatric 30 criteria for improvement (defined "responders") were randomized to abatacept or placebo (plus MTX) in the 6-month double-blind withdrawal period (period B). HRQOL assessments included 15 Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) health concepts plus the physical (PhS) and psychosocial summary scores (PsS), pain (100-mm visual analog scale), the Children{\textquoteright}s Sleep Habits Questionnaire, and a daily activity participation questionnaire.

RESULTS: A total of 190 subjects from period A and 122 from period B were eligible for analysis. In period A, there were substantial improvements across all of the CHQ domains (greatest improvement was in pain/discomfort) and the PhS (8.3 units) and PsS (4.3 units) with abatacept. At the end of period B, abatacept-treated subjects had greater improvements versus placebo in all domains (except behavior) and both summary scores. Similar improvement patterns were seen with pain and sleep. For participation in daily activities, an additional 2.6 school days/month and 2.3 parents{\textquoteright} usual activity days/month were gained in period A responders with abatacept, and further gains were made in period B (1.9 versus 0.9 [P = 0.033] and 0.2 versus -1.3 [P = 0.109] school days/month and parents{\textquoteright} usual activity days/month, respectively, in abatacept- versus placebo-treated subjects).

CONCLUSION: Improvements in HRQOL were observed with abatacept, providing real-life tangible benefits to children with JIA and their parents/caregivers.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Arthritis, Juvenile, Child, Double-Blind Method, Female, Health Status, Humans, Immunoconjugates, Male, Pain, Quality of Life, Questionnaires, Sleep Stages}, issn = {2151-4658}, doi = {10.1002/acr.20283}, author = {Ruperto, Nicolino and Lovell, Daniel J and Li, Tracy and Sztajnbok, Flavio and Goldenstein-Schainberg, Claudia and Scheinberg, Morton and Penades, Inmaculada Calvo and Fischbach, Michael and Alcala, Javier Orozco and Hashkes, Philip J and Hom, Christine and Jung, Lawrence and Lepore, Loredana and Oliveira, Sheila and Wallace, Carol and Alessio, Maria and Quartier, Pierre and Cortis, Elisabetta and Eberhard, Anne and Simonini, Gabriele and Lemelle, Irene and Chalom, Elizabeth Candell and Sigal, Leonard H and Block, Alan and Covucci, Allison and Nys, Marleen and Martini, Alberto and Giannini, Edward H} } @article {1695, title = {EULAR/PRINTO/PRES criteria for Henoch-Sch{\"o}nlein purpura, childhood polyarteritis nodosa, childhood Wegener granulomatosis and childhood Takayasu arteritis: Ankara 2008. Part I: Overall methodology and clinical characterisation.}, journal = {Ann Rheum Dis}, volume = {69}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 May}, pages = {790-7}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To report methodology and overall clinical, laboratory and radiographic characteristics for Henoch-Sch{\"o}nlein purpura (HSP), childhood polyarteritis nodosa (c-PAN), c-Wegener granulomatosis (c-WG) and c-Takayasu arteritis (c-TA) classification criteria.

METHODS: The preliminary Vienna 2005 consensus conference, which proposed preliminary criteria for paediatric vasculitides, was followed by a EULAR/PRINTO/PRES - supported validation project divided into three main steps. Step 1: retrospective/prospective web-data collection for HSP, c-PAN, c-WG and c-TA, with age at diagnosis

RESULTS: A total of 1183/1398 (85\%) samples collected were available for analysis: 827 HSP, 150 c-PAN, 60 c-WG, 87 c-TA and 59 c-other. Prevalence, signs/symptoms, laboratory, biopsy and imaging reports were consistent with the clinical picture of the four c-vasculitides. A representative subgroup of 280 patients was blinded to the treating physician diagnosis and classified by a consensus panel, with a kappa-agreement of 0.96 for HSP (95\% CI 0.84 to 1), 0.88 for c-WG (95\% CI 0.76 to 0.99), 0.84 for c-TA (95\% CI 0.73 to 0.96) and 0.73 for c-PAN (95\% CI 0.62 to 0.84), with an overall kappa of 0.79 (95\% CI 0.73 to 0.84).

CONCLUSION: EULAR/PRINTO/PRES propose validated classification criteria for HSP, c-PAN, c-WG and c-TA, with substantial/almost perfect agreement with the final consensus classification or original treating physician diagnosis.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Biopsy, Child, Delphi Technique, Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis, Humans, International Cooperation, Internet, Polyarteritis Nodosa, Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch, Reproducibility of Results, Takayasu Arteritis}, issn = {1468-2060}, doi = {10.1136/ard.2009.116624}, author = {Ruperto, Nicolino and Ozen, Seza and Pistorio, Angela and Dolezalova, Pavla and Brogan, Paul and Cabral, David A and Cuttica, Ruben and Khubchandani, Raju and Lovell, Daniel J and O{\textquoteright}Neil, Kathleen M and Quartier, Pierre and Ravelli, Angelo and Iusan, Silvia M and Filocamo, Giovanni and Magalh{\~a}es, Claudia Saad and Unsal, Erbil and Oliveira, Sheila and Bracaglia, Claudia and Bagga, Arvind and Stanevicha, Valda and Manzoni, Silvia Magni and Pratsidou, Polyxeni and Lepore, Loredana and Espada, Graciela and Kone-Paut, Isabella and Paut, Isabelle Kone and Zulian, Francesco and Barone, Patrizia and Bircan, Zelal and Maldonado, Maria del Rocio and Russo, Ricardo and Vilca, Iris and Tullus, Kjell and Cimaz, Rolando and Horneff, Gerd and Anton, Jordi and Garay, Stella and Nielsen, Susan and Barbano, Giancarlo and Martini, Alberto} }