Methotrexate therapy for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in Japan — surveillance with a questionnaire at seven main facilities

Abstract

Methotrexate (MTX) therapy is now a main-stream drug for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Similarly, the therapy is being established in the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). However, little is known about the therapy for JRA in Japan. Therefore, to establish MTX therapy for JRA we investigated the current state of therapy in Japan. In September 1996 a questionnaire about MTX therapy was sent to the main facilities in Japan where members of the Japan Pediatric Rheumatology Association have been treating patients with JRA. From seven main facilities, a total of 56 JRA patients treated with MTX were reported. From this survey, it was revealed that MTX was used frequently for the treatment of patients with JRA in combination with other drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and prednisolone. MTX therapy was determined effective in 80% of cases; moreover, this therapy was tolerable in most cases. However, there were a few mild adverse effects including hepatotoxicity. Thus, MTX therapy was applied broadly to JRA patients in Japan. The therapy was determined to be more effective than prior medications when combined with other drugs to treat JRA.

Key words::

• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• low-dose methotrexate
• oral pulse therapy
• surveillance
• questionnaire