diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (all subtypes) by the international league of associations of rheumatology (ilar) criteria

on etanercept therapy

no mtx or low dose mtx (maximum 10 mg/m2)

3 or more months in remission according to the criteria of wallace (i.e. 9 or more months of inactive disease)

age ≥4 and <18 years at start of study

written informed consent from parents and patients 12 years and over

systemic corticosteroids (up to 9 months prior to inclusion)

intra-articular corticosteroids (up to 6 months prior to inclusion)

synthetic dmards besides low dose mtx (up to 9 months prior to inclusion)

biologic dmards besides etanercept (up to 9 months prior to inclusion)