Prevalence Of Psoriatic Arthritis In Patients Research Articles

Reducing the Risk of Developing Psoriatic Arthritis in Patients with Psoriasis.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis, which may manifest with different domains such as dactylitis, enthesitis, synovitis and spondylitis. The estimated prevalence of PsA in patients with psoriasis ranges widely between 6% and 42%. In most cases, PsA is preceded by skin involvement by an average time of 7–8 years. In the complex patho-mechanisms involved in the transition from psoriasis to PsA, the gut and skin have been proposed as the sites of immune activation triggering or contributing to the development of PsA. In such a transition, a subclinical phase has been identified, characterized by enthesopathy where soluble biomarkers and imaging findings but no clinical symptoms are detectable. Recent studies have provided some evidence that timely treated psoriasis may reduce the risk of developing PsA.

Could Psoriatic Arthritis Be Easily Diagnosed from Current Suspicious Physical Findings in the Dermatology Clinic?

BackgroundThe prevalence and clinical characteristics of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients with psoriasis are not well described in Asian populations, including Koreans.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of PsA by using the classification of psoriatic arthritis (CASPAR) criteria on the basis of physical examination only, as well as its correlation with psoriasis severity and other medical conditions including nail psoriasis.MethodsA single-center, cross-sectional observational cohort study was conducted, and the included patients were evaluated for PsA according to the CASPAR criteria. The psoriasis area severity index (PASI) and the nail psoriasis severity index (NAPSI) were calculated.ResultsThe prevalence of PsA in patients with psoriasis in Korea was 13.5%. When performing logistic regression, hyperlipidemia and localized pustular psoriasis were found to be significant predictors of PsA. The PASI score was significantly higher in PsA patients than in those with psoriasis alone (p=0.014). Psoriatic nail involvement was found in 85.5% of the study population, and all PsA patients had nail psoriasis. The mean NAPSI score was higher in patients with PsA; however, the difference was not statistically significant.ConclusionThere was a close relation between psoriasis severity and PsA, although nail psoriasis severity was not related to PsA status. Dermatologists can diagnose PsA from current physical findings by using the CASPAR criteria. To validate the CASPAR criteria for PsA diagnosis, the definition of nail psoriasis clinical types and severity in the CASPAR criteria should be reviewed again.

Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Psoriatic Arthritis in Japan.

To investigate the prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in Japanese patients with psoriasis. A multicenter, noninterventional, retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at 3 tertiary care centers in Japan. PsA was diagnosed by rheumatologists based on clinical findings. Prevalence of PsA, clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and treatment patterns were examined. PsA was identified in 431 of 3021 patients with psoriasis, with a mean prevalence of 14.3% (range, 8.8-20.4%). No large differences between these results and previous reports from Western countries were observed in arthritis distribution, skin disease type, or treatment selection. The prevalence of PsA in patients with psoriasis in Japan approaches 20% in some areas, similar to that observed in Western countries, and is higher than previously reported in Asia. Clinical features including age, sex, age at onset, and manifestation patterns were also similar to those reported in the West.

High prevalence of psoriatic arthritis in dermatological patients with psoriasis: a cross-sectional study

The exact prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) among patients with psoriasis is still not conclusive. Data in the literature vary between 5.8 and 30%. Objective of this study was to gain more information on the prevalence of PsA among patients with psoriasis in Germany. Between 09/2010 and 05/2011, consecutive patients from dermatological private practices and a university hospital with psoriasis were asked to fill out the validated German Psoriatic Arthritis Diagnostic (GEPARD) Questionnaire. Patients who answered ≥4 questions with "yes" were invited to come for a rheumatological check up. Those patients who refused a rheumatological examination were counted as "absence of PsA". Laboratory tests for inflammatory markers as well as the severity of skin manifestations were assessed. The diagnosis of PsA was made according to the CASPAR criteria, and imaging was performed in addition. A total of 404 questionnaires were evaluated; 50.5% answered ≥4 questions positively; 19.3% had a history of PsA confirmed by a rheumatologist; and in 10.9%, PsA or spondyloarthritis was newly diagnosed during the present study. This leads to an overall prevalence of PsA in patients with psoriasis of 30.2%. The frequency of psoriatic arthritis in the present study is higher than expected from previous studies in Germany. The prevalence is consistent with findings of a large observational survey from Scandinavia. Using the CASPAR criteria and imaging in all patients, certainty of the diagnosis is very high. The GEPARD Questionnaire is a helpful tool to identify people at risk for psoriatic arthritis.

Sonographic Monitoring of Psoriatic Plaque

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting 1% to 3% of the world’s population1. A considerable proportion of patients with psoriasis will develop a form of inflammatory arthritis known as psoriatic arthritis (PsA). More rarely, PsA develops before the psoriatic lesions. The prevalence of PsA in patients with psoriasis varies from 7.6% to 36% according to the different populations studied2. The inadequate response to treatment and the toxicity of traditional treatments opened the doors to the development of new therapeutic alternatives such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) antagonists, which are utilized in patients with PsA and psoriasis for reducing the proinflammatory cell infiltration (macrophages, monocytes, keratinocytes, Langerhan’s cells, dermal dendritic cells, mast cells, and activated T cells) at the skin and synovial level3,4. Some authors have demonstrated the utility of ultrasound (US) in PsA5,6, but to our knowledge no studies have aimed at assessing the potential of this technique in anti-TNF-α therapy …