Association of serum ferritin with disease activity in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most prevalent rheumatic condition in childhood and adolescence. This study aimed to observe the association of serum ferritin level with the disease activity among all sub-types of JIA by using Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS 27). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 94 newly diagnosed patients of JIA who attended Pediatric Rheumatology clinic and Inpatient Rheumatology Division, Department of Pediatrics of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) from June 2022 to July 2023 were selected as cases. Serum ferritin was done and JADAS 27 score was calculated in all the cases. Results: Mean age of patients was 9.10±3.68 years with a male: female ratio of 1.4:1. Enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) (33%) was the most common subtypes of JIA followed by sytemic JIA and others. At presentation all subtypes of JIA had high disease activity and systemic JIA had the highest frequency (81.8%) of high disease activity. Serum ferritin and ESR level was highest among the systemic JIA followed by ERA. Also, serum ferritin was significantly increased in systemic JIA as compared to non-systemic JIA patients. Here, positive correlation of serum ferritin level and JADAS 27 among all sub-types of JIA was observed, but only the positive correlation of ERA was statistically significant. Conclusions: Serum ferritin showed a significant moderately positive correlation with JADAS 27 in ERA. Here, serum ferritin level in JIA patients was highest in high disease activity. Serum ferritin was significantly increased in systemic JIA as compared to non-systemic JIA patients.