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Serious musculoskeletal infections in children receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor-α therapy: a case series

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Abstract

Anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF-α) agents are widely used to treat children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) whose disease is resistant to conventional therapy. Although generally well tolerated, use of these agents has been associated with an increased risk of infection. In particular, in patients treated with anti-TNF-α agents, there is an increased susceptibility to infection by intracellular organisms such as tuberculosis, and common infections may present atypically or be more severe. We report four cases of serious musculoskeletal infections among 31 children with JIA being treated with anti-TNF-α agents, two of which were secondary to group A β-hemolytic Streptococcus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Kimberly Morishita, Ross Petty & David Cabral

  2. Division of Infectious and Immunological Diseases, British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Stuart Turvey

  3. Department of Pediatrics, British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Roxana Bolaria

  4. Department of Radiology, British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Robyn Cairns

  5. Division of Rheumatology, British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital, Rm K4-120 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3V4, Canada

    Kimberly Morishita

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  1. Kimberly Morishita
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  2. Ross Petty
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  3. Robyn Cairns
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  4. Roxana Bolaria
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  5. David Cabral
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  6. Stuart Turvey
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Correspondence to Kimberly Morishita.

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Morishita, K., Petty, R., Cairns, R. et al. Serious musculoskeletal infections in children receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor-α therapy: a case series. Clin Rheumatol 29, 677–681 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-010-1410-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-010-1410-x

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