Glossary

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  • Arthritis:

    inflammation of one or more joints, which can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of motion.

  • Autoinflammatory disease:

    an illness in which the body's control of inflammation is not functioning properly, leading to uncontrolled inflammation.

  • Biologic:

    a product made from living cells that is used to treat diseases.

  • Cytokine:

    a protein produced by the body that interacts with the cells of the immune system to help fight infection. When the body produces too much of a cytokine, it can cause inflammation and tissue destruction.

  • Flare:

    the worsening and increase in severity of disease symptoms.

  • Idiopathic:

    the exact cause of the disease is unknown.

  • Immune system:

    the body's natural defense system that protects against any material foreign to the body.

  • Inflammation:

    the body's protective response that results in heat, pain, redness, and swelling.

  • Injection:

    usually referred to as "a shot," an injection puts medication into the body using a syringe.

  • Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β):

    a type of cytokine that plays a key role in the body's inflammatory response.

  • Juvenile Arthritis (JA):

    a medical condition that occurs in children 16 years of age and younger, and involves swelling in one or more joints lasting at least 6 weeks.

  • Pediatric rheumatologist:

    a doctor who specializes in treating children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases, including arthritis, many autoimmune diseases, and many autoinflammatory diseases.

  • Quotidian Fevers:

    fevers that repeat on a daily basis.

  • Rare disease:

    an uncommon illness that affects very few people.

  • Still's Disease:

    Still's Disease is an alternate and older term for SJIA.

  • Symptoms:

    a description of the way you are feeling due to an illness.

  • Systemic:

    affecting the entire body, rather than a single organ or body part.

  • Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis:

    a type of arthritis that has no apparent cause and affects children 16 years of age and younger. Like other forms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, SJIA involves swelling in one or more joints lasting at least 6 weeks, but SJIA affects the whole body, beyond the joints. It is characterized by spiking fevers that come and go and a pale red or salmon-colored rash, both of which may precede swollen joints.