Predictive Factors For Response To Treatment In A Long-Term Cohort Of Patients With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-Associated Uveitis

Background: Uveitis is the main extraarticular complication of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) with still a significant impact on JIA morbidity, despite continuous improvement in systemic treatment. Although antinuclear antibody positivity and early onset of JIA have been associated with a high risk of uveitis onset, so far no clinical features have been widely recognized as predictive factors for JIA-associated uveitis (JIA-U) response to treatment. Objectives: To investigate clinical features associated with response to systemic treatment in a long-term cohort of patients with JIA-U Methods: Clinical records of patients with JIA-U were retrospectively reviewed with regard to clinical features, therapeutic choices and outcome. Clinical and laboratory variables were compared by means of Mann-Whitney U test or chi-square/Fisher exact test, as appropriate. Results: Data from 164 JIA-U patients were analysed (81.7% female), with a median follow up of 12.1 years (7.1-17.3). Median age at JIA and uveitis onset was 2.6 (1.6-4.8) and 4.8 (2.9 – 7.0) years, respectively. Monotherapy with a conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) was used in 25.0% of patients, while 111 patients (67.7%) received at least one biologic DMARD (bDMARDs). Compared to patients responsive to DMARDs, children requiring a bDMARDs for uveitis had a lower median age at both JIA (2.4 vs 4.3 years, p 0.0234) and uveitis onset (4.1 vs 6.2 years, p 0.0023). Despite no differences in ocular damage at onset and median disease duration, patients not responsive to conventional DMARDs showed a higher frequency of ocular damage at the last visit (66.2% vs 33.3%, p 0.011). Children requiring more than one bDMARD for uveitis presented a more frequent polyarticular course (87.0% vs 20.2%, p 0.0022), a longer disease duration (median follow-up: 14.2 vs 10.4 years, p 0.0397) and a higher frequency of visual loss (best corrected visual acuity Conclusion: JIA-U patients with a lack of response to conventional DMARDs were significantly younger both at JIA and uveitis onset. Severe JIA-U requiring more than one bDMARDs was associated with polyarticular JIA course and longer disease duration. Children resistant to conventional treatment need prompt recognition and additional strategies to improve long-term outcome. References: [1]Heiligenhaus et al. Predictive factors and biomarkers for the 2-year outcome of uveitis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatology 2019. Disclosure of Interests: None declared