Therapy for systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis with gamma-interferon: a pilot study of nine patients.

Nine severely ill patients with a confirmed diagnosis of systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis were treated with recombinant gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) in addition to the therapy they were previously receiving for their disease. Improvements in clinical symptoms were noted in 7 of the patients, and median laboratory values also showed a marked improvement after gamma-IFN treatment. A relapse occurred in 1 patient. The results of this study should stimulate further research on the use of gamma-IFN in systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, particularly in determining the appropriate effective dosage.