Predicting Which Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Will Have a Severe Disease Course: Results from the ReACCh-Out Cohort

OBJECTIVE: We studied an inception cohort of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) to (1) identify distinct disease courses based on changes over 5 years in 5 variables prioritized by patients, parents, and clinicians; and (2) estimate the probability of a severe disease course for each child at diagnosis. One hundred candidate prediction models were developed in random samples of 75% of the cohort; their reliability and accuracy were tested in the 25% not used in their development. RESULTS: Four distinct courses were identified in 609 subjects. They differed in prioritized variables, disability scores, and probabilities of attaining inactive disease and remission. We named them Mild (43.8% of children), Moderate (35.6%), Severe Controlled (9%), and Severe Persisting (11.5%). A logistic regression model using JIA category, active joint count, and pattern of joint involvement at enrollment best predicted a severe disease course (Controlled + Persisting, c-index = 0.87); 91% of children in the highest decile of risk actually experienced a severe disease course, compared to 5% of those in the lowest decile. CONCLUSION: Children in this JIA cohort followed 1 of 4 disease courses and the probability of a severe disease course could be estimated with information available at diagnosis.