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Paediatric rheumatic disease

Biologic therapy and risk of infection in children with JIA

Analysis of a national US database suggests that patients with JIA are at increased risk of serious infection, and that this risk is further increased by treatment with glucocorticoids. By contrast, therapy with methotrexate or TNF inhibitors does not increase this risk, and might even reduce it through steroid-sparing effects.

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The author has acted as a consultant to Abbott, Pfizer, Novartis and Roche, and has received speaker's honoraria and financial support for scientific analyses from Abbott and Pfizer.

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Horneff, G. Biologic therapy and risk of infection in children with JIA. Nat Rev Rheumatol 8, 504–505 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2012.114

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