PReS-FINAL-2043: Cardiac involvement in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Results Our sample included 42 patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA, mean age at evaluation 13.9 ± 7.9 years, mean disease duration was 6.9 ± 7.6 years, Male/Female ratio:10/32). Among them, 27 (64.3%) were oligoarthritis, 13 (30.9%) polyarthritis, 1 (2.4%) systemic arthritis and 1 (2.4%) psoriasic arthritis. Uveitis were present in 6 patients. Only 5 patients had clinical and laboratory signs of active disease. Among the patients, 36 were receiving a treatment: 22 were in Methotrexate (MTX), 8 were in Etanercept, 4 were in therapy with both MTX and Etanercept, 1 with Adalimumab and 1 with Infliximab. Each patient was matched with a healthy control. We found in the JIA group a slight increased number of valvular alterations: 13 patients with tricuspid insufficiency, 1 with mitral valve insufficiency, 4 with mitral prolaps and 2 with bicuspid aortic valves, while in the control group we found 5 tricuspid insufficiency and 1 aortic insufficiency (p = NS). Two patients had a small pericardial effusion. We found a significant difference between case and controls in systolic and diastolic function both of left (increased Iso Volumetric Contraction Time, IVCT, p < 0.006, and increased Iso Volumetric Realising Time, IVRT, p < 0.001) and right (decreased Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion, TAPSE, p < 0.004, and decreased E/A ratio p < 0.004, increased IVRT p < 0.01) ventricles. The correlation between echocardiographic and some clinical parameters (active disease score and the use and duration of drugs) was detected: we found significant correlation only between methotrexate therapy and E/A ratio and IVRT (p < 0.05).