Prevalence of autoimmune diseases and other associated conditions in children and young adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

ObjectiveMany autoimmune diseases share common pathogenic mechanisms; however, there are limited studies quantifying the coexistence of autoimmune diseases and associated conditions in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). This large US-based study estimated and compared the prevalence of multiple coexisting autoimmune diseases in patients with JIA with a general paediatric (GP) patient population.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study was conducted using registry data from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (January 2010–October 2018). The prevalence of multiple autoimmune diseases was estimated in patients (age 20-fold increased prevalence in the JIA cohort compared with the GP cohort.ConclusionIn this study, patients with JIA had a greater prevalence of a large number of coexisting autoimmune diseases and associated conditions compared with the GP population. Physicians should consider coexisting autoimmune diseases in the treatment and management of patients with JIA.