Mothers' reports of the difficulties that their children experience in taking methotrexate for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and how these impact on quality of life.

Background: Children who take methotrexate for juvenile idiopathic arthritis may experience side effects, including nausea and vomiting, leading to anticipatory nausea in some children, and fear of injections or blood tests. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and extent of these difficulties and their impact on quality of life.

Methods: Participants were mothers of children with JIA who were currently taking methotrexate (MTX).

Generation of novel pharmacogenomic candidates in response to methotrexate in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: correlation between gene expression and genotype.

Objectives: Little is known about the mechanisms of efficacy of methotrexate (MTX) in childhood arthritis, or genetic influences upon response to MTX. The aims of this study were to use gene expression profiling to identify novel pathways/genes altered by MTX and then investigate these genes for genotype associations with response to MTX treatment.

Methods: Gene expression profiling before and after MTX treatment was performed on 11 children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treated with MTX, in whom response at 6 months of treatment was defined.

Do mothers and fathers hold similar views about their child's arthritis?

Objective: Evaluations of the well-being of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) typically rely on parents as proxy respondents. An assumption of several studies appears to be that mothers' and fathers' ratings are interchangeable, as reports do not always specify which parent completed the assessments nor, in repeated measures, whether they were completed by the same parent. The aim of this study was to examine the level of agreement between mothers' and fathers' ratings of their child's quality of life (QOL) and to identify possible predictors of disagreement.