Literature on Psoriatic Arthritis

Related ArticlesSerum levels of IL-10, IL-6, IL-1ra, and sIL-2R in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Rheumatol Int. 2000;19(3):101-5

Authors: Elkayam O, Yaron I, Shirazi I, Yaron M, Caspi D

Our objective was to evaluate the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble receptors of IL-2 (sIL-2R), IL-10, and IL-1 receptor antagonists (IL-1ra) in the serum of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and to assess the correlation between these levels and parameters of clinical activity of skin and joint disease. In total, 34 patients with PsA and ten healthy volunteers participated in the study. Assessment of joint disease included duration of morning stiffness, number of tender and swollen joints, right and left grip, the presence of inflammatory spinal back pain, and Schober test. Current severity of skin disease was graded according to the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was determined as a marker of disease activity. Serum levels of IL-6, sIL-2R, IL-1ra, and IL-10 were measured by an enzyme immunoassay kit. Significantly higher serum levels of IL-6, sIL-2R, IL-1ra, and IL-10 were found in patients with PsA in comparison with healthy volunteers. A statistically significant correlation was found between levels of sIL-2R and PASI, whereas no association was found with clinical parameters of joint severity. Levels of IL-lra correlated with the number of tender and swollen joints. No correlation was found between levels of IL-6, IL-10, and clinical parameters of skin and joint severity. In the group of patients with PsA, serum levels of sIL-2R clearly correlated with severity of skin disease, whereas levels of IL-1ra were associated with joint severity.

PMID: 10776688 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Related ArticlesSpondylitis is the most common pattern of psoriatic arthritis in Korea.

Rheumatol Int. 2000;19(3):89-94

Authors: Baek HJ, Yoo CD, Shin KC, Lee YJ, Kang SW, Lee EB, Han CW, Kim HA, Youn JI, Song YW

We assessed the prevalence and clinical features of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in Korean patients with psoriasis. The prevalence of PsA in patients with psoriasis was 9%. Patients with PsA were older and had a longer duration of skin disease than those with psoriasis alone (median age, 40 vs 35 years, P = 0.03, and 15.3 vs 11.7 years, P = 0.04, respectively). Spondylitis was the most common pattern of PsA (50%). Nail change, dactylitis, and enthesopathy were observed in 36%, 15.4%, and 15.6% of patients with PsA, respectively. Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), antinuclear antibody, and radiological sacroiliitis were more frequent in patients with PsA than in those with uncomplicated psoriasis (25.8% vs 10.3%, P = 0.04; 37.9% vs 16.7%, P = 0.02; and 37.8% vs 1.1%, P

PMID: 10776686 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Related ArticlesImmediate and delayed effects of treatment at the Dead Sea in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Rheumatol Int. 2000;19(3):77-82

Authors: Elkayam O, Ophir J, Brener S, Paran D, Wigler I, Efron D, Even-Paz Z, Politi Y, Yaron M

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate and delayed effects of balneotherapy at the Dead Sea on patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). A total of 42 patients with PsA were treated at the Dead Sea for 4 weeks. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups: group 1 (23 patients) and group 2 (19 patients). Both groups received daily exposure to sun ultraviolet rays and regular bathing at the Dead Sea. Group 1 was also treated with mud packs and sulfur baths. Patients were assessed by a dermatologist and a rheumatologist 3 days before arrival, at the end of treatment, and at weeks 8, 16, and 28 from the start of treatment. The clinical indices assessed were morning stiffness, right and left hand grip, number of tender joints, number of swollen joints, Schober test, distance from finger to floor when bending forward, patient’s self-assessment of disease severity, inflammatory neck and back pain and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score. Comparison between groups disclosed a similar statistically significant improvement for variables such as PASI, morning stiffness, patient self-assessment, right and left grip, Schober test and distance from finger to floor when bending forward. For variables such as tender and swollen joints, and inflammatory neck and back pain, improvement over time was statistically significant in group 1. Addition of mud packs and sulfur baths to sun ultraviolet exposure and Dead Sea baths seems to prolong beneficial effects and improves inflammatory back pain.

PMID: 10776684 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Related ArticlesSerum osteocalcin levels in patients with psoriatic arthritis: an extended report.

Rheumatol Int. 2000;19(5):161-4

Authors: Franck H, Ittel T

The aim of the study was to investigate the rate of bone formation in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) compared to controls and patients with psoriasis vulgaris without PsA (PS). Osteocalcin (OC) and other parameters of bone turnover were measured in 32 patients with PsA and 17 patients with PS and compared to controls (n = 50). Patients with PsA do not generally present with different OC levels (3.0 +/- 1.6 ng/ml), than controls (3.6 +/- 1.17 ng/ml), if disease activity or sex are not considered. Women with PsA had significantly lower OC levels (2.28 +/- 0.44 ng/ml) than female controls (4.11 +/- 1.7 ng/ml) or women with PS (3.0 +/- 0.89 ng/ml). However, mean disease activity (2.27 +/- 1.0 vs 2.95 +/- 0.92) was also significantly lower in women than men. Furthermore, we found a significant correlation between alkaline phosphatase (AP) and OC in all patients with PsA (r = 0.49, P

PMID: 10984132 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Related ArticlesThe familial form of spondylarthropathy: a clinical study of 115 multiplex families. Groupe Français d’Etude Génétique des Spondylarthropathies.

Arthritis Rheum. 2000 Jun;43(6):1356-65

Authors: Said-Nahal R, Miceli-Richard C, Berthelot JM, Duché A, Dernis-Labous E, Le Blévec G, Saraux A, Perdriger A, Guis S, Claudepierre P, Sibilia J, Amor B, Dougados M, Breban M

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the interrelationships among different phenotypes, and their relationship to the HLA-Blocus, in multiplex families with spondylarthropathy (SpA). METHODS: We recruited 115 white French families, each of which had at least 2 members with SpA. Pedigrees were established. Clinical data and pelvic radiographs were collected. The HLA-B27 status of all patients was determined. Analysis was performed to determine the prevalence of SpA manifestations according to sex, disease duration, and HLA-B status, and to examine clustering of specific manifestations in subsets of families. RESULTS: We identified 329 SpA patients. Mean +/-SD age at onset was 24+/-9.4 years. The male:female ratio was 186:143, or 1.3, with few sex differences in disease expression. Axial manifestations and HLA-B27 were each present in 97% of the patients. Inflammatory bowel disease and HLA-B35 were overrepresented in the 7 families containing HLA-B27-negative patients. The frequency of radiographic sacroiliitis increased in parallel with disease duration. Peripheral enthesitis, radiographic sacroiliitis, and psoriasis were evenly distributed in the families. Clustering independent of age was only observed for peripheral arthritis, suggesting that specific factors may predispose individuals to this manifestation. CONCLUSION: Familial SpA appears to be homogeneous, based on the high frequencies of axial skeletal involvement and HLA-B27. The lack of clustering of most manifestations in families suggests that a predominant shared component, including HLA-B27, predisposes individuals to all forms of familial SpA, and that ubiquitous genetic or environmental factors contribute to phenotype diversity.

PMID: 10857795 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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