Many children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) could achieve inactive or minimally active disease with non-biologic treatments, a study suggests.

The Canadian authors used data on 4429 treatment episodes from 1352 children with JIA to examine treatment strategies recommended in current guidelines.

These included NSAIDS and intra-articular corticosteroid injections as initial treatment for children with fewer than five joints involved, and the addition of methotrexate when five or more joints were involved.

“Monotherapy with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, combination of anti-inflammatories and joint injections, and adding methotrexate to anti-inflammatories and/or joint injections were 54%, 65%, and 60% effective, respectively, in attaining inactive or minimally active disease when used in ways compatible with the 2011 American College of Rheumatology Treatment Recommendations,” the authors said.