Author: Raquel Campanilho-Marques
V. Ø. Dåstøl et al. (OP0316) investigated the association between maternal fish consumption, dietary mercury exposure during pregnancy, and risk of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) in offspring. The study utilized data from 73,819 mother-child pairs in the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study. No significant associations were found with total fish consumption or mercury intake. Elevated consumption of lean or semi-oily fish during pregnancy increased JIA odds. Further research is needed to clarify dietary contaminants’ roles in JIA etiology.
H. Bootsma et al. (OP0226) identified dysregulated molecular pathways in pediatric Sjögren’s Disease (pedSjD) by comparing transcriptomes of peripheral blood cells between patients and controls. Enriched pathways included IFN responses and inflammation. 72% of pedSjD patients showed elevated ISG expression, correlating with clinical features, such as ANA and anti-SSA/Ro positivity. Most pedSjD patients displayed an IFN signature, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic and stratification tool.
S. La Bella et al. (OP0264) assessed pediatric rheumatology-related content on TikTok. 847 videos were evaluated from 25 hashtags. Healthcare professionals created 12.7% of all videos, which were longer, more comprehensive, and higher quality compared to non-healthcare professionals (NHPs). Misinformation was more common in videos from NHPs. Significant pediatric rheumatology content exists on TikTok.
A. Klein et al. (OP0009) investigated the safety and effectiveness of Tocilizumab (TCZ) compared to Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors (TNFi) over 36 months in polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) patients. This 5-year observational cohort study included 342 German patients starting TCZ or TNFi treatment. Both TCZ and TNFi were effective in achieving treatment targets, though more serious AEs were reported with TCZ.
M. Zajc Avramovic et al. (POS0131) assessed the long-term neuro-developmental outcomes in children born to mothers with anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS). Among 108 children, 36% showed neurodevelopmental abnormalities, increasing to 54% with follow-up beyond six years. Behavioral, emotional, and cognitive issues, such as ADHD and speech abnormalities, were noted. Regular follow-ups and early interventions are recommended. Children, born to mothers with APS are at risk of neurodevelopmental abnormalities, when they reach school-age, in more than 50 % of cases. Close follow-up and early interventions would be beneficial.
G Horneff et al. (POS0119) evaluated the occurrence of varicella and zoster in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients, with and without varicella-zoster virus (VZV) vaccination. The VZV vaccination status in JIA patients is unsatisfactory. Zoster occurs significantly more frequently after a wild virus infection than after vaccination demonstrating it’s efficacy. In addition, JIA patients with higher JADAS at the start of therapy, those with rheumatoid factor-positive polyarthritis or psoriatic arthritis with TNF inhibitors had a higher risk of zoster. Vaccination status should be checked and completed before treatment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Raquel Campanilho-Marques
Raquel Campanilho-Marques is an Adult and Pediatric Rheumatology Consultant at Lisbon Academic Medical Center (Portugal), Invited Lecturer of Rheumatology at Lisbon Academic Medical Center (Portugal), and Investigator at Molecular Medicine Institute (Portugal).
Her main research interests are Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies and she is responsible for the Multidisciplinary Myositis Clinic of the Hospital
Currently, Raquel is the Education and Training Sub-committee Lead of EMERGE .