Clinical Diagnosis Of Psoriatic Arthritis Research Articles

18F-sodium fluoride PET-CT visualizes both axial and peripheral new bone formation in psoriatic arthritis patients

PurposeAs bone formation is associated with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), positron emission tomography (PET) using a 18F-Fluoride tracer may enable sensitive detection of disease activity. Our primary aim was to determine the feasibility of whole-body 18F-sodium fluoride PET-CT in clinically active PsA patients to depict new bone formation (as a reflection of disease activity) at peripheral joints and entheses. Our secondary aim was to describe 18F-sodium fluoride findings in the axial skeleton.MethodsSixteen patients (female 10/16, age 50.6 ± 8.9 years) with PsA fulfilling CASPAR criteria or with a clinical diagnosis of PsA according to the treating rheumatologist and with ≥ 1 clinically active enthesitis site were included. Of each patient, a whole-body 18F-sodium fluoride PET-CT scan was performed. All scans were scored for PET-positive lesions at peripheral joints, enthesis sites and the spine. Clinical disease activity was assessed by swollen/tender joint count 44, enthesitis according to MASES and SPARCC scores.ResultsOut of 1088 evaluated joints, 109 joints showed PET enhancement, mainly in the interphalangeal and metatarsal joints of the feet (14/109, 12.9%) and the distal interphalangeal joints of the hands (14/109, 12.9%). PET positivity was found at 44/464 enthesis sites, mainly at the patella tendon insertion (11/44, 25%) and quadriceps tendon insertion (10/44, 22.7%). Of the PET-positive joints and enthesis sites, respectively 18.2% and 29.5% were clinically positive; 81.8% and 70.5% of the PET-positive joints and entheses respectively were clinically asymptomatic. In 11 patients, ≥ 1 axial PET-positive lesion was observed, mainly in the cervical spine.ConclusionsNew molecular bone formation was observed on 18F-sodium fluoride PET-CT scans, in all domains in which PsA disease activity can be observed, with a substantial part showing no clinical symptoms.Clinical trial registrationEudraCT: 2017-004,850-40, registered on 13 December 2017.

Comparing methotrexate monotherapy with methotrexate plus leflunomide combination therapy in psoriatic arthritis (COMPLETE-PsA): a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, trial.

Conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are the preferred first-line treatment in patients with psoriatic arthritis, although there is a paucity of evidence for the efficacy of conventional synthetic DMARDs and especially their combination. We aimed to investigate whether a combination of methotrexate plus leflunomide is superior to methotrexate monotherapy at improving disease activity in patients with psoriatic arthritis. This single centre, investigator-initiated, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at Sint Maartenskliniek in the Netherlands (locations included Boxmeer, Geldrop, Woerden, and Nijmegen). Patients aged 16 years or older with a clinical diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis and active disease (defined as two or more swollen joints; dactylitis counting as one swollen joint) were included. Patients were randomly allocated (1:1) and stratified by high disease activity (psoriatic arthritis disease activity score [PASDAS] ≥5·4) to either methotrexate plus leflunomide (combination therapy) or methotrexate plus placebo (monotherapy), using computer-generated stratified variable block randomisation. In both groups, patients received oral methotrexate 15 mg per week for the first 4 weeks and 25 mg per week thereafter combined with two leflunomide 10 mg tablets once per day or two placebo tablets. During the study period, the patients, nurses, researchers, and treating physicians were all masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was the difference in mean PASDAS at week 16, adjusted for baseline PASDAS, between the combination and monotherapy groups, assessed in the intention-to-treat population. This trial was registered with the Netherlands Trial Register (NL7404) on Dec 3, 2018. Between Feb 19, 2019, and March 11, 2021, 82 patients were screened for eligibility. Four patients were ineligible and 78 were enrolled and randomly assigned to either methotrexate plus leflunomide (n=39) or methotrexate plus placebo (n=39). 50 (64%) of 78 patients were male, 28 (36%) were female, and the median age of patients was 55·0 years (IQR 42·0-64·0). Methotrexate plus leflunomide combination therapy was superior to methotrexate monotherapy at week 16 (PASDAS 3·1 [SD 1·4] vs 3·7 [SD 1·3]; treatment difference -0·6, 90% CI -1·0 to -0·1; p=0·025). There were no study deaths. The most frequently occurring adverse events were nausea or vomiting (17 [44%] of 39 patients in the methotrexate plus leflunomide group vs 11 [28%] of 39 in the methotrexate plus placebo group), tiredness (9 [23%] vs 13 [33%]) and elevated alanine aminotransferase (12 [31%] vs 7 [18%]. Generally, the incidence of mostly mild adverse events was higher in the methotrexate plus leflunomide group than in the methotrexate plus placebo group. Methotrexate plus leflunomide combination therapy results in greater improvement in disease activity according to PASDAS in patients with psoriatic arthritis. However, methotrexate plus leflunomide combination therapy is less well tolerated than methotrexate monotherapy. Regional Junior Researcher Grant from the Sint Maartenskliniek.

AB0846 HIGH DEGREE OF CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA FULFILLMENT AMONG PATIENTS WITH CLINICAL PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS DIAGNOSES IN SWEDEN

Background:The clinical diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) may be challenging. In Sweden, the vast majority of PsA cases are diagnosed within rheumatology or internal medicine (IM). Knowledge of the correspondence between clinical ICD diagnoses and classification criteria fulfillment is crucial to interpret studies identifying cases based on ICD codes.Objectives:To assess the degree to which patients with clinical PsA diagnoses in Sweden fulfill established PsA classification criteria.Methods:Four hundred patients with ≥1 outpatient physician visit to one of five rheumatology or IM departments (3 university/2 county departments, spread across Sweden) 2013-2015 with a main ICD-10 diagnosis of PsA (L40.5/M07.0-M07.3), were randomly selected from the Swedish National Patient Register (80 cases/site). Based on a structured medical record review, positive predictive values (PPV) of a clinical PsA diagnosis (i.e. ≥1 visit with a PsA ICD-10 code) for fulfillment of the following classification criteria were assessed: CASPAR,[1] Moll & Wright,[2] Vasey & Espinoza,[3] and Modified ESSG criteria for PsA,[4] respectively (as well as for any of these); ASAS criteria for peripheral or axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) [5]; and the 1987 ACR criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).[6] Subanalyses regarding CASPAR fulfillment were also performed restricted to patients with available rheumatoid factor and peripheral X-ray status (central CASPAR items; n=227), and among patients with ≥2 ICD codes for PsA, of which ≥1 from a rheumatology/IM department (n=353).Results:Out of 400 clinically diagnosed PsA patients, 343 (86%) fulfilled any of the 4 PsA classification criteria, with a PPV for CASPAR fulfillment of 69% (rising to 73-82% in the subanalyses;Figure 1). Substantial overlap was seen regarding fulfillment of the 4 PsA criteria (Figure 2A). Moreover, 86% fulfilled the ASAS peripheral or axial SpA criteria, while the 1987 ACR definition of RA was met by 27% – in both cases with the great majority also classifiable as PsA (Figure 2B). Most patients not fulfilling any PsA criteria had either no verified arthritis or polyarticular disease (Table). Overall, only 6.5% of the clinical PsA diagnoses were judged as clearly wrong by the rheumatologists performing the medical record assessments.Conclusion:The validity of clinical ICD-10 diagnoses for PsA in the Swedish National Patient Register is good, with a PPV of 86% for the fulfillment of established PsA classification criteria.

SAT0414 THE PERFORMANCE OF A MULTI-MARKER GENETIC TEST TO IDENTIFY PATIENTS WITH PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS AMONG PSORIASIS PATIENTS

Background:Improved understanding of the complex genetic architecture of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) along with the reduction in the cost of genetic testing provide an opportunity to assess the application of genetic testing for PsA diagnosis in clinical setting.Objectives:The study aimed to assess the performance of the multi-SNP genetic test in predicting a clinical diagnosis of PsA by a rheumatologist among psoriasis patients with musculoskeletal symptoms.Methods:328 patients with psoriasis and musculoskeletal symptoms that were referred to a rapid access clinic for suspected PsA were enrolled. Patients with a prior diagnosis of PsA were excluded. A rheumatologist evaluated all patients and classified them as “PsA” or “not PsA”. All patients who were classified as not PsA at baseline were reassessed 1 year later to determine whether they have developed PsA. We tested 2 outcomes: 1) diagnosis of PsA at baseline; and 2) diagnosis of PsA at baseline or at 1 year. A custom multi-SNP genetic assay was genotyped on a MassARRAY system (Agena Biosciences). The custom PsA weighted genetic panel included 42 variants in or near 20 genes based on genome-wide significance in PsA studies. We tested the ability of each genetic maker individually to predict PsA using logistic regression models adjusted for age and sex. Machine-learning methods including logistic regression, naïve bayes and random forest were used to identify the optimal prediction model. Age and sex were included in the prediction models.Results:78 patients were classified as PsA (PsA-baseline) and the remaining 250 patients as not PsA. After 1 year, 17 additional patients developed PsA resulting in 95 patients with PsA at 1 year (PsA-1 year). The association between the tested SNPs and PsA is shown in Table 1. 5 SNPs located at LCE3A (rs10888503), TNIP1 (rs146571698) and IL-23R (rs4655683, rs2201841 and rs12044149) were associated with PsA-baseline or PsA-1 year (all p<0.05). Of the three machine-learning methods used, logistic regression was found to have the best prediction properties (highest AUC). Overall, the performance of prediction models to classify patients as PsA was modest (see Table 2). The AUC, sensitivity and specificity of the models to predict PsAat baselinewere: 0.62, 0.15, 0.97, respectively andat 1 year: 0.62, 0.15, 0.94.Table 1.The association between (selected top markers)ChromSNPGenePsA diagnosis at baseline (N=78)PsA diagnosis at 1 year (N=95)OR95% CIP valueOR95% CIP value1rs10888503LCE3A1.781.21, 2.620.0031.521.06, 2.170.026rs12191877HLA-C0.520.31, 0.890.0170.630.39, 1.010.0576rs2894207HLA-C*60.570.35, 0.930.0250.620.39, 0.990.0456rs13214872HLA-C0.570.34, 0.960.0350.650.41, 1.050.0786rs12189871HLA-C0.550.30, 1.010.0550.680.40, 1.170.1696rs4406273HLA-C0.570.32, 1.020.0570.670.40, 1.120.1225rs146571698TNIP12.030.97, 4.240.0612.071.02, 4.180.0441rs4655683IL-23R1.420.97, 2.080.0691.521.06, 2.170.0221rs2201841IL-23R0.720.50, 1.050.0870.680.48, 0.960.0541rs12044149IL-23R1.340.88,2.060.1671.601.07, 2.390.021Table 2.Performance of the genetic assay in predicting PsA2A. Prediction of PsA at baseline (N=78)MethodTPTNFPFNAccuracySensitivitySpecificityAUCLogistic Regression122428660.770.150.970.62Naïve Bayes2720347510.700.350.810.61Random Forest1423713640.770.180.950.562B. Prediction of PsA at 1 year (N=95)MethodTPTNFPFNAccuracySensitivitySpecificityAUCLogistic Regression1521815800.710.150.940.62Naïve Bayes2120330740.680.220.870.62Random Forest1620429790.670.170.880.55Conclusion:Despite the association of several genetic markers with PsA, genetic testing has marginal effect on predicting a diagnosis of PsA among patients with psoriasis and musculoskeletal symptoms.Disclosure of Interests:Lihi Eder Grant/research support from: Abbvie, Lily, Janssen, Amgen, Novartis, Consultant of: Janssen, Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Lily, Janssen, Amgen, Novartis, Quan Li: None declared, Dana Jerome: None declared, Chandra Farrer: None declared, Tanya Burry: None declared, Proton Rahman Grant/research support from: Janssen and Novartis, Consultant of: Abbott, AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Celgene, Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, and Pfizer., Speakers bureau: Abbott, AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Celgene, Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer

Implications of the diversity of class I HLA associations in psoriatic arthritis

We sought to validate and extend the findings of a 282 psoriatic arthritis patient cohort from Dublin using a 219 patient cohort from Bath. The central finding of this study was that several structurally unrelated HLA alleles, including B*08:01:01, B*18:01:01, B*27:05:02, B*55:01:01 and C*06:02:01, were found to be significantly associated with particular phenotypic features of psoriatic arthritis, implying that the clinical diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis designates a genetically heterogeneous subset of individuals. Radiographic sacroiliitis was associated with either B*08:01:01, or B*27:05:02 with implications about the role of MHC molecules in an adaptive immune response. There are also implications for psoriatic arthritis diagnostic criteria since some disease features used in the criteria are under genetic control. These findings have important implications for understanding the role of MHC alleles in directing the adaptive immune response to mediate the inflammation responsible for psoriatic arthritis.

Comparative performance of psoriatic arthritis screening tools in patients with psoriasis in European/North American dermatology clinics

General practitioners/dermatologists may be aware of musculoskeletal symptoms in patients with psoriasis but may have difficulty accurately detecting psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We sought to evaluate 3 PsA screening questionnaires-the Psoriasis and Arthritis Screening Questionnaire (PASQ), Psoriasis Epidemiology Screening Tool (PEST), and Toronto Psoriatic Arthritis Screen (ToPAS)-based on rheumatologist assessment in patients with psoriasis. Consecutive unselected patients with psoriasis, initially evaluated by dermatologists for plaque psoriasis, were randomized to receive 1 of 3 questionnaires. Patients were subsequently evaluated by rheumatologists to establish/exclude clinical PsA diagnosis. Using clinical PsA diagnosis as the standard for comparison, questionnaire accuracy was assessed by calculating sensitivity/specificity and positive/negative predictive values. Of 949 patients with psoriasis evaluated by rheumatologists, 285 (30%) received a clinical diagnosis of PsA (95% confidence interval 27%-33%). Probable PsA was detected in 45.1%, 43.0%, and 42.9% of patients using PASQ, PEST, and ToPAS, respectively. Sensitivity ranged from 0.67 to 0.84; specificity, 0.64 to 0.75; positive predictive value, 0.43 to 0.60; and negative predictive value, 0.83 to 0.91. Not all patients completed all questionnaires; lack of standardized diagnostic criteria introduced possible bias. PASQ, PEST, and ToPAS are useful screening tools that can help dermatologists identifypatients without PsA and patients with possible PsA who may benefit from rheumatologist assessment.

Higher Rates and Clustering of Abnormal Lipids, Obesity, and Diabetes Mellitus in Psoriatic Arthritis Compared With Rheumatoid Arthritis

We compared the prevalence and the clustering of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) components (obese body mass index [BMI; ≥30 kg/m(2) ], hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipids, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the Consortium of Rheumatology Researchers of North America (CORRONA) Registry. We included CORRONA participants with a rheumatologist-confirmed clinical diagnosis of PsA or RA with complete data. We used a modified definition of MetS that did not include insulin resistance, waist circumference, or blood pressure measurements. Logistic regression models were adjusted for age, sex, and race. In the overall CORRONA population, the rates of diabetes mellitus and obesity were significantly higher in PsA compared with RA. In 294 PsA and 1,162 RA participants who had lipids measured, the overall prevalence of MetS in PsA versus RA was 27% versus 19%. The odds ratio (OR) of MetS in PsA versus RA was 1.44 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.05-1.96, P = 0.02). The prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia was higher in PsA compared with RA (38% versus 28%; OR 1.51 [95% CI 1.15-1.98], P = 0.003). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was also higher in PsA compared with RA (15% versus 11%; OR 1.56 [95% CI 1.07-2.28], P = 0.02) in the adjusted model. Similarly, higher rates of hypertriglyceridemia and diabetes mellitus were observed in the subgroup of PsA and RA patients with obese BMI. Compared with RA, PsA is associated with higher rates of obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hypertriglyceridemia.

SAT0296 Comparison of Clinical Cut-Offs For Diagnosis of Psoriatic Arthritis in Psoriasis Patients in European/North American Dermatology Clinics

BackgroundPrompt diagnosis and treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are essential to reduce the risk of permanent joint damage. Although composite measures established in rheumatoid arthritis are often used in PsA...

Sensitivity of the Classification of Psoriatic Arthritis Criteria in Early Psoriatic Arthritis

To determine the sensitivity of the CASPAR criteria in patients with early psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of PsA and a disease duration < 12 months were enrolled for study. The proportion of patients meeting the criteria (i.e., the sensitivity) was determined. Forty-four patients with early PsA (23 women, 21 men; mean age 51 yrs, range 16-90) were enrolled. Mean disease duration (+/- SD) was 15.8 +/- 14.3 weeks (range 0.1-50.9 wks). Thirty-four patients satisfied the criteria at the first visit (sensitivity 77.3%). Most patients met the skin and laboratory criterion, i.e., they were rheumatoid factor-negative, while only 2 satisfied the radiologic criterion. Our findings suggest a less satisfactory performance of the CASPAR criteria when applied in early PsA. Lower sensitivity could mainly depend on the small proportion of patients fulfilling the radiologic criterion.

Clinical evaluation and comparison of different criteria for classification in Turkish patients with psoriatic arthritis

Several criteria are being used for the classification of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and there is a lack of consensus about PsA as a separate entity. Our aim is to investigate the clinical features of our patients with a clinical diagnosis of PsA, compare the sensitivities of different classification criteria, agreement between the criteria. In this study 86 PsA patients were investigated (48 females, mean age 44). Moll and Wright criteria was fulfilled by 91%, Vasey and Espinoza criteria by 94% and modified European SpA study group criteria by 59%, classification of PsA study group criteria by 86%, modified McGonagle criteria by 96%, Fournie et al. criteria by 84% and Gladman criteria by 95%. Significant agreement was present between criteria but generally kappa-values were less than 0.5. The pattern of PsA can differ with time and the implementation of the available classification criteria showed considerable differences.

Detailed analysis of contrast-enhanced MRI of hands and wrists in patients with psoriatic arthritis

The objective was to perform detailed analysis of the involved soft tissues, tendons, joints, and bones in the hands and wrists of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We reviewed 23 contrast-enhanced MR imaging studies (13 hands and 10 wrists) in 10 patients with the clinical diagnosis of PsA. We obtained clinical information from medical records and evaluated images for the presence of erosions, bone marrow edema, joint synovitis, tenosynovitis, carpal tunnel, and soft tissue involvement. Two board-certified musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed all images independently. Differences were resolved during a subsequent joint session. The average duration of disease was 71.3 months, ranging from 1 month to 25 years. Eight of the 10 wrists (80%) and 6 of the 13 hands demonstrated bone erosions. Bone marrow abnormalities were shown in 5 of the 10 wrists (50%) and 4 of the 14 hands (31%). Triangular fibrocartilage tears were seen in 6 of the 10 wrists (60%). Wrist and hand joint synovitis were present in all studies (67 wrist joints and 101 hand joints). Wrist soft tissue involvement was detected in 9 of the 10 wrists (90%) and hand soft tissue involvement was present in 12 of the 13 wrists (92%). Findings adjacent to the region of soft tissue involvement included synovitis (4 wrists) and tenosynovitis (3 wrists). Bone marrow edema adjacent to the region of soft tissue involvement was seen in one wrist. Bulge of the flexor retinaculum was seen in 4 of the 10 wrists (40%) and median nerve enhancement was seen in 8 of the 10 wrists (80%). Tenosynovitis was seen in all studies (all 10 of the hands and all 13 of the wrists). The "rheumatoid" type of distribution of bony lesions was common in our study. Interobserver agreement for various findings ranged from 83% to 100%. Contrast-enhanced MRI unequivocally demonstrated bone marrow edema, erosions, tendon and soft-tissue disease, and median nerve involvement, with good interobserver reliability in patients with PsA of the hands and wrists. Disease was more extensive in the wrists than in the hands.

Clinical evaluation and comparison of different criteria for classification in Turkish patients with psoriatic arthritis

Several criteria are being used for the classification of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and there is a lack of consensus about PsA as a separate entity. Our aim is to investigate the clinical features of our patients with a clinical diagnosis of PsA, compare the sensitivities of different classification criteria and agreement between the criteria. In this study 86 PsA patients were investigated (48 female, mean age 44). Moll and Wright criteria were fulfilled by 91%, Vasey and Espinoza criteria by 94% and modified European SpA study group criteria by 59%, classification of PsA study group criteria by 86%, modified McGonagle criteria by 96%, Fournié et al. criteria by 84%, and Gladman criteria by 95%. Significant agreement was present between criteria but generally kappa values were less than 0.5. The pattern of PsA can differ with time and the implementation of the available classification criteria showed considerable differences.

Arthritis psoriatica - Zum Spektrum von Haut- und Gelenkbefall

Even in clinical diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (A.ps.) the need for an interdisciplinary approach between dermatologists and rheumatologists is obvious. The present paper discusses current classifications and special types of A.ps. with emphasis on dermatological and rheumatological symptoms. In some of the special types of A.ps. such as juvenile A.ps., psoriasis-associated SAPHO syndrome, chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis or psoriatic pachydermoperiostiti, close collaboration of dermatologists and rheumatologists is mandatory. Subclinical manifestations on tendons and insertion points are frequent. They suggest a kind of koebnerization in psoriatic joint disease.