The risk of developing juvenile arthritis within one year of receiving antibiotics is an important clue about the etiology of this serious disease.

For the study, the research team used The Health Improvement Network (THIN), a database with information on over 11 million people across Britain. Of the roughly 450,000 children studied, about 152 were diagnosed with juvenile arthritis. After adjusting for other auto-immune conditions and previous infection, the scientists determined that children who received prescriptions for antibiotics had an increased risk for developing juvenile arthritis. They found that the risk was strongest within one year of receiving antibiotics. The researchers further added that antiviral and antifungal drugs were not linked to juvenile arthritis, suggesting that risk for arthritis was specific to antibacterial medicines.
Study senior author Brian Strom from Rutgers University said, "This is an extremely important clue about the etiology of this serious and potentially crippling disease. If confirmed, it also provides a means for preventing it."
The findings are published in Pediatrics.
Source-IANS