A hitchhiker's guide through the COVID-19 galaxy.

Numerous reviews have summarized the epidemiology, pathophysiology and the various therapeutic aspects of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but a practical guide on "how to treat whom with what and when" based on an understanding of the immunological background of the disease stages remains missing. This review attempts to combine the current knowledge about the immunopathology of COVID-19 with published evidence of available and emerging treatment options. We recognize that the information about COVID-19 and its treatment is rapidly changing, but hope that this guide offers those on the frontline of this pandemic an understanding of the host response in COVID-19 patients and supports their ongoing efforts to select the best treatments tailored to their patient's clinical status.

Adalimumab in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis/juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Chronic arthritis in childhood is the most common pediatric rheumatic disease and can lead to significant short- and long-term disability. TNF-a is a cytokine involved in joint inflammation and destruction. It has been suggested that early and aggressive treatment leads to improved outcomes by ameliorating clinical signs and symptoms, inhibiting joint destruction and improving functional disability. The early and aggressive use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biologic response modifiers are key to achieving this goal. Anti-TNF agents are effective biologic modifiers that have had a major impact on the clinical course of arthritis. Adalimumab, a recombinant monoclonal antibody to TNF-alpha, is emerging as a valuable new therapy for juvenile arthritis.

Developments in the treatment of juvenile arthritis.

Although rarely a life-threatening disease, juvenile arthritis (JA) can, if poorly controlled, profoundly affect growth, development and quality of life in children. Long-term damage in children with JA rarely arises from overly aggressive therapy, but rather from an overly conservative and cautious approach in the early stages of the disease. As more potential therapeutic agents for JA become available, the physician must become skilled in viewing the data with a critical eye with regard to safety and efficacy in the paediatric population. The following review discusses the prognosis and management of JA, with a focus on new emerging agents for the treatment of this disease.