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Three children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis were given a single oral dose of approximately 0.1 mg/kg of auranofin. Blood concentrations up to 49 ng/ml were detectable at 24 h (earliest sample) and remained detectable for at least 2 weeks (final sample). Disappearance of measurable gold from both the blood and serum appeared to be linear through time. None of the patients experienced significant laboratory abnormalities nor adverse reactions. Gold levels attained in these children were somewhat lower than those seen in adults administered an equivalent dose.

Studies of pediatric clinic populations have shown that a high proportion of children with rheumatic complaints demonstrate hypermobility of the joints. In order to compare the frequency and nature of articular complaints in children with hypermobility to that seen in nonhypermobile controls, we examined 192 normal students aged 5-19 years. Overall, 34% (41/109 girls and 25/83 boys) were found to be hypermobile. Consenting parents of hypermobile children were given a questionnaire and interview designed to detect a history of arthritis/arthralgia, as were parents of age and sex matched nonhypermobile controls. Fifty percent of the hypermobile group had a history of arthralgia, compared to 20% of controls. Ten percent in each group had had arthritis. Data from our comparative study supports the possible association between joint hypermobility and the development of articular complaints in children.