Open label phase II trial of single, ascending doses of MRA in Caucasian children with severe systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: proof of principle of the efficacy of IL-6 receptor blockade in this type of arthritis and demonstration of prolonged clinical improvement

Table 2 Baseline characteristics of sJIA for the full analysis population

	MRA
	2 mg/kg (n = 4)	4 mg/kg (n = 6)	8 mg/kg (n = 5)	Overall (n = 15)
VAS of disease activity^a (mm)
Mean ± SD	60.3 ± 29.94	50.5 ± 22.10	35.3 ± 30.09	48.9 ± 26.49
Range	20, 92	17, 74	11, 73^f	11, 92^g
VAS of overall well-being^a (mm)
Mean ± SD	42.8 ± 29.28	56.5 ± 34.85	59.2 ± 10.57	53.7 ± 26.42
Range	5,76	20, 100	50, 75	5, 100
Total number of active joints^b
Mean ± SD	27.8 ± 9.54	23.2 ± 13.01	12.4 ± 13.15	20.8 ± 13.07
Range	15, 36	4, 38	4, 35	4, 38
Total number of joints with limitation of movement^b
Mean ± SD	17.8 ± 10.28	15.2 ± 11.27	12.8 ± 13.10	15.1 ± 11.00
Range	7, 30	5, 35	5, 36	5, 36
ESR (mm/h)
Mean ± SD	114.3 ± 20.45	78.0 ± 25.85	60.0 ± 18.13^f	83.2 ± 30.07^g
Range	95, 140	30, 100	35, 78	30, 140
CRP (mg/l)
Mean ± SD	140.8 ± 90.08	119.0 ± 52.23	125.6 ± 39.48	NC
Range	59, 262	60, 189	89, 178
Functional ability^c
Mean ± SD	0.7 ± 0.68	1.2 ± 0.89	2.3 ± 0.36	1.4 ± 0.91
Range	0.03, 1.5	0.13, 2.38	1.75, 2.75	0.03, 2.75
Total Systemic Feature Score^d
Mean ± SD	3.0 ± 1.41	3.2 ± 1.72	3.0 ± 2.45	3.1 ± 1.79
Range	2, 5	1, 6	0, 6	0, 6

^aMeasured on an increasing scale of 0 to 100 mm. ^bMaximum of 81. ^cCHAQ: maximum of 3. ^dMaximum of 8. ^eN = 2;individual patient's data presented. ^fN = 4. ^gN = 14. CHAQ, childhood health assessment questionnaire; CRP, C-reactive protein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; NC, not calculated; SD, standard deviation; VAS, visual analogue scale.

ISSN: 1478-6362