Horneff G, De Bock F, Foeldvari I et al.
Asklepios Clinic Sankt Augustin, Sankt Augustin, Germany.
Ann Rheum Dis 2009:68;519–25.
Editor’s note: Anti-tumor necrosis factor-
α agents are effective in the treatment of juvenile inflammatory arthritis (JIA) and are typically used in patients who have failed treatment with at least one conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). A previous study in Germany showed that 80% of patients with JIA who were treated with etanercept also received methotrexate (
Ann Rheum Dis 2004;63:1638–44). The current study used data from the German Etanercept Registry to analyze the outcomes and side-effects in patients who were treated with etanercept alone compared with those who were treated with a combination of methotrexate and etanercept .