TOPLINE:

In a study, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor treatment was not associated with differences in height among pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or inflammatory bowel disease.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers evaluated 521 patients from the TriNetX research network with AD, juvenile arthritis, or noninfective enteritis or colitis who received JAK inhibitors (upadacitinib or abrocitinib for AD and upadacitinib or tofacitinib for juvenile arthritis or noninfective enteritis or colitis) at age 17 or younger.
• The mean age was 14.4 years at index treatment and 16.6 years at the time of analysis; 61.42% were female; nearly 65% were White, 11.13% were Black or African American, 4.03% were Asian, and 10.36% were Hispanic or Latino individuals.
• Patients were matched with 521 individuals with the same diagnoses who received alternative treatments (dupilumab, methotrexate, adalimumab, or infliximab).
• The study outcome was change in height.

TAKEAWAY:

• There was no significant difference in the height between patients who received JAK inhibitors and matched individuals (mean difference [MD], -0.94 cm; P = .12), indicating no significant impact on height.
• Secondary analyses revealed no significant height differences between patients with AD (MD, 0.53 cm; P = .70), juvenile arthritis (MD, -0.67 cm; P = .55), or inflammatory bowel disease cohorts (MD, 0.16 cm; P = .85) and control individuals.
• Proportions of patients with height less than 2 SD below mean were similar between groups.

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings may inform shared decision-making about JAKi [JAK inhibitor] use in the pediatric population,” the study authors wrote. “Future studies should evaluate whether these findings generalize to younger populations, the effects of JAKi therapy on growth velocity, and the role of potential mediating factors.”

SOURCE:

The study was led by Hannah L. Cole, AB, Harvard Medical School, Boston; coauthors were from the Departments of Dermatology, Boston University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston. The study was published online on October 29 in JAMA Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The limitations included few patients with JAK inhibitor treatment in the prepubescent age range, lack of dose-response relationships, lack of data on final adult height, and potential confounding by indication.

DISCLOSURES:

The authors did not disclose any funding information. One author disclosed receiving personal fees for consulting from Honeydew Care, Sanofi Pasteur, and Twi Biotechnology outside the submitted work and being an associate editor for JAMA Dermatology but was involved in any decisions regarding this study. No other disclosures were reported.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.