AccScience Publishing / EJMO / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/EJMO025240257
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Efficacy and safety of golimumab in treating refractory juvenile dermatomyositis: A single-center retrospective study

Xiangyuan Chen1* ,  Suyun Cheng1 ,  Chenxi Li1 ,  Ying Xie1 ,  Hua Li2
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1 Department of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
2 Department of Children’s Health Care, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
EJMO, 025240257 https://doi.org/10.36922/EJMO025240257
Received: 13 June 2025 | Revised: 30 September 2025 | Accepted: 16 October 2025 | Published online: 6 November 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Introduction: Patients with refractory juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) often exhibit limited responsiveness to glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of golimumab in treating refractory JDM.

Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with JDM at Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center between January 2017 and December 2023. A total of 85 patients with JDM were screened, among whom four were treated with golimumab.

Results: The average age of onset of the four patients was 8.8 years, with a mean diagnostic age of 9.4 years. Two patients tested positive for anti-nuclear antibody, and one patient was positive for anti-nuclear matrix protein 2 (NXP2) antibodies. All patients underwent golimumab treatment for more than 6 months, showing satisfactory clinical improvement and restoration of normal muscle strength. However, Patient 3 showed a suboptimal response to golimumab in managing the rash, which reappeared after outdoor activities without sunscreen. After switching to baricitinib, the rash resolved completely. Mild upper respiratory tract infections were noted post-golimumab treatment in all four patients. The patient who was positive for anti-NXP2 antibody developed severe lung infections and seizures after a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, but subsequently made a full recovery.

Conclusion: Golimumab proves to be an effective and safe option for patients with refractory JDM, particularly in alleviating muscle weakness, albeit with a less favorable effect on rashes. Although mild infections may arise following golimumab therapy, the overall prognosis for recovery is promising.

Keywords
Golimumab
Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors
Juvenile dermatomyositis
Therapy
Anti-nuclear matrix protein 2
Funding
This study was supported by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Bureau of Guangdong Province (Project number 20242067).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
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Eurasian Journal of Medicine and Oncology, Electronic ISSN: 2587-196X Print ISSN: 2587-2400, Published by AccScience Publishing
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