Etanercept in the treatment of adult patients with Still's disease

[Guest guest]

Arthritis Rheum 2002 May;46(5):1171-6

Etanercept in the treatment of adult patients with Still's disease.

Husni ME, Maier AL, Mease PJ, Overman SS, Fraser P, Gravallese EM, Weinblatt ME.

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

02115, USA.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of etanercept in the treatment of adult

patients with Still's disease.

METHODS:

Twelve adult patients who met criteria for Still's disease and had active

arthritis were enrolled in a 6-month open-label trial of etanercept given in

biweekly doses of 25 mg. The mean disease duration at study entry was 10.7

years. All patients had been treated unsuccessfully with other disease-modifying

antirheumatic drugs. Efficacy was evaluated according to American College of

Rheumatology (ACR) improvement criteria, and adverse events were recorded.

RESULTS:

Ten patients successfully completed the study; 2 withdrew due to disease flare.

In 4 patients, the dosage of etanercept was increased from 25 mg biweekly to 25

mg 3 times per week. Seven patients met ACR 20% response criteria. Of these 7

responders, 4 met ACR 50% response criteria and 2 met ACR 70% response criteria.

Among the 3 patients with systemic features of Still's disease (fever and rash),

improvement in these features was seen in 1; the arthritis did not improve in

any of these 3 patients. Except in the 2 patients who withdrew due to disease

flare (rash, fever, and arthritis), no other significant adverse events

occurred.

CONCLUSION:

In this initial study of etanercept therapy for Still's disease in the adult,

this treatment resulted in improvement in the arthritis and was well tolerated.

Additional trials should be performed to elucidate the effects of tumor necrosis

factor inhibitors in Still's disease.

[Guest guest]

Having both Still's and RA, I found this extremely interesting. I am

glad to be on Enbrel and noticed that my Still's flares have been

much less intense over the past two years.

Thanks for the information .

Al in IL