HC Deb 18 February 1980 vol 979 cc92-3W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what research is currently being carried out into Stills disease; how many people are estimated to be suffering from Stills disease at the latest convenient date; and how this figure compares with each of the previous five years.

Sir George Young

The main Government-funded body supporting research into this disease is the Medical Research Council, from funds provided by the Department of Education and Science and the Health Departments. The Council is supporting the following research:

  1. (a) At the Division of Rheumatology, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex.
    1. (i) Long term follow-up of juvenile chronic polyarthritis for prognosis, including problem of amyloidosis and methods of sub-grouping.
    2. (ii) Comparative studies of newer analgesic anti-inflamatory drugs and antirheumatic drugs, eg penicillimine in juvenile chronic polyarthritis.
    3. (iii) Assessment of results of various surgical procedures in juvenile chronic polyarthritis.
    4. (iv) Chronic iridocyclitis in juvenile chronic polyarthritis.
    5. (v) Further genetic studies in juvenile chronic polyarthritis.
    6. (vi) Anti-igG antibodies in differing patterns of juvenile chronic polyarthritis.
    7. (vii) Gait analysis as a means of assessing the effect of soft tissue release operations on hips and knees in juvenile chronic polyarthritis.
    8. (viii) Assessment of new EULAR criteria for juvenile chronic polyarthritis.
  2. (b) At the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London.
The pathology of juvenile polyarthritis compared with adult rheumatoid arthritis and ank losing spondylitis. The Council are also supporting other work in the broader field of arthritis generally, some of which may also be relevant. Other research supported by Government fund is also conducted in the Universities and Hospital Medical Schools but the details are not recorded centrally and are not available. No estimate has been made of the number of people suffering from Stills disease but the estimated number of discharges and deaths from non-psychiatric hospitals in England and Wales of patients suffering from the disease in 1977 was 730*. Estimated figures for the previous five years were:
1972 700
1973 850
1974 1,090
1975 790
1976 810

* The principles applied to the acceptability of cases in the sample selected changed in 1977 and the figures for that year are not strictly comparable with those given for previous years.