Pain sensitivity in young adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a quantitative sensory testing study

Table 3 Thermal pain thresholds and pressure pain thresholds among juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and controls^*

	n	Cold pain threshold^a		Heat pain threshold		Pressure pain threshold
		Absolute temperature °C (95% CI)		Absolute temperature °C (95% CI)		Kilopascal (95% CI)
		Upper limb	Lower limb	Upper limb	Lower limb	Upper limb	Lower limb
Control	109	15.9 (13.8, 18.0)	13.2 (11.1, 15.3)	44.3 (43.6, 45.0)	44.9 (44.3, 45.4)	1029 (999, 1059)	760 (726, 794)
JIA (total group)^b	96	15.5 (13.1, 17.8)	13.4 (11.1, 15.8)	44.0 (43.1, 44.8)	44.8 (44.2, 45.4)	888 (846, 930)	702 (670, 734)
JIA (total group)^b	96	p = 0.8	p = 0.9	p = 0.5	p = 0.8	p < 0.001	p = 0.01
JIA
Remission off med.^c	43	14.3 (10.7, 17.8)	11.8 (8.2, 15.4)	43.6 (42.2, 45.0)	44.8 (43.8, 45.8)	893 (823, 962)	731 (674, 788)
Remission off med.^c	43	p = 0.4	p = 0.5	p = 0.4	p = 0.9	p < 0.001	p = 0.4
Inactive disease^c	20	16.9 (11.9, 22.0)	17.4 (12.4, 22.4)	44.2 (42.4, 46.0)	44.9 (43.5, 46.3)	836 (761, 910)	626 (574, 677)
Inactive disease^c	20	p = 0.7	p = 0.1	p = 0.9	p = 1.0	p < 0.001	p < 0.001
Active disease^c	33	16.2 (12.4, 20.0)	13.1 (9.2, 17.0)	44.3 (43.1, 45.4)	44.6 (43.9, 45.3)	910 (842, 978)	707 (662, 752)
Active disease^c	33	p = 0.9	p = 1.0	p = 0.9	p = 0.6	p = 0.002	p = 0.06

^*Multilevel modeling with predicted values as absolute temperature with 95% CI, adjusted for age and sex
CI confidence interval, p p value comparing controls with JIA disease group (either total group or according to disease status)
^aA substantial number were censored because the participants did not reach their cold pain thresholds due to floor temperature of the hardware was 5 °C; 212 (28%) in the JIA group and 198 (23%) in the control group. We accounted for these censored responses in the statistical analyses
^bSeparate multilevel model of the total JIA cohort
^cDisease status according to the definition by Wallace et al. Remission off med. remission off medication for ≥ 12 months, Inactive disease inactive disease on medication for less than 6 months or inactive disease off medication for less than 12 months or remission on medication (inactive disease on medication for more than 6 months). Active disease flare or continuous active disease

ISSN: 1478-6362