Thymopentin in the treatment of juvenile chronic arthritis.

An immunological imbalance is probably one of the major pathogenetic causes of rheumatoid arthritis in adults as well as in children. This aspect is the rationale for the use of immuno-modulating drugs. In our study we evaluated the effects of intravenously-administered thymopentin on systemic and local features in 10 children affected with systemic onset juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA). We also considered the effects of intra-articular thymopentin in 3 children affected with pauciarticular onset JCA.