A modified juvenile arthritis damage index to improve articular damage assessment in juvenile idiopathic arthritis--enthesitis-related arthritis (JIA-ERA)

Clin Rheumatol. 2012 May;31(5):767-74. doi: 10.1007/s10067-011-1928-6. Epub 2012 Jan 11.

Abstract

Juvenile arthritis damage index (JADI) consists of two parts which measure articular (JADI-A) and extra-articular (JADI-E) damage in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). It does not include assessment of cardiac dysfunction and joint areas commonly affected in enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) category of JIA. We have tried to study if modification of JADI will improve its performance in JIA-ERA. We studied 101 consecutive patients of JIA-ERA. JADI-A was modified (JADI-AM) to include damage assessment of tarsal joints and lumbar spine. JADI-E was modified (JADI-EM) to include assessment of symptomatic cardiac dysfunction. The performances of the modified and standard JADI were compared. Ninety-seven patients were male. The median age was 18 years (9-36). At a median disease duration of 6 years (1-24), joint damage was observed in 47 as assessed by JADI-A. JADI-AM could identify 11 more patients (N = 58) with articular damage. JADI-AM had good correlation with number of joints with limitation of movement (Spearman's [rS] = 0.9) and low to moderate correlation (rS < 0.7) with measures of disease activity and functional status. JADI-AM discriminated well among patients with different disability levels. Extra-articular damage was observed in 35, and modification of JADI-E with inclusion of cardiac dysfunction did not identify any additional patient. Thus, we propose a modification of the JADI-A (JADI-AM). In JIA-ERA, modification of JADI-A improves its ability to identify articular damage. Modification of the JADI-E may not be needed as symptomatic cardiac involvement is rare.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Arthritis, Juvenile / complications
  • Arthritis, Juvenile / pathology*
  • Arthritis, Juvenile / physiopathology
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Disability Evaluation*
  • Female
  • Heart Diseases / complications
  • Heart Diseases / diagnosis
  • Heart Diseases / physiopathology
  • Heart Function Tests
  • Humans
  • Joints / pathology*
  • Joints / physiopathology
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / pathology
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Severity of Illness Index*
  • Tarsal Joints / pathology
  • Tarsal Joints / physiopathology
  • Young Adult