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Diagnostics (Basel) 2022 Jun 8;12(6). Epub 2022 Jun 8.

Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU-Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.

High intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to benefit patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). However, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has uncovered bone marrow edema (BME) in healthy volunteers after vigorous exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate MR images of the spine of PsA patients for changes in BME after HIIT. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 2;13:909760. Epub 2022 Jun 2.

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.

Background And Objectives: Psoriasis is a heterogeneous inflammatory disease that involves the skin, joints, liver, heart, and other organs. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the relative contributions of inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation to CVD are incompletely understood. We set out to discover novel potential contributors to CVD in PsA patients by comprehensively phenotyping a cohort of PsA patients using these advanced technologies. Read More

Q J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2022 Jun 16. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Department of Nuclear Medicine, Northwest Clinics, Alkmaar, The Netherlands.

Radiosynoviorthesis (RSO) or radiation synovectomy has been practiced for more than half a century, but in many parts of the world, it is still relatively unknown and not used to its full potential in the standard care for chronic, persistent or recurrent synovitis. The working mechanism of RSO is simple yet elegant. Radiopharmaceutical particles are, after injection in the affected synovial joint, gobbled up by phagocytizing subsynovial inflammatory cells. Read More

Arch Bronconeumol 2021 Sep 17;57(9):571-576. Epub 2021 Jul 17.

Servicio de Neumoloxía, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Spanish Biomedical Research Networking Centre-CIBERES, A Coruña, Spain.

Background: Silicosis is associated with an increased risk of developing systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARD). The prognostic implications of this association are poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of SARD and autoimmune markers in a cohort of patients with exposure to silica and assess their impact on prognosis. Read More

Ann Rheum Dis 2022 Jun 14. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Rheumatology, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands.

Objectives: Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are effective in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), but are associated with a small (0.6%) increase in serious infection risk, patient burden due to need for self-injection and high costs. Treat-to-target (T2T) tapering might ameliorate these drawbacks, but high-quality evidence on T2T tapering strategies is lacking in PsA and axSpA. Read More

Dis Markers 2022 3;2022:4433313. Epub 2022 Jun 3.

Department of Rheumatology, Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation of Hearth and Lung Diseases and Rheumatism "Thalassotherapia-Opatija", M. Tita 188, 51420 Opatija, Croatia.

We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the proinflammatory monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in the diagnosis of asymptomatic diastolic dysfunction (DD) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The disease activity in psoriatic arthritis (DAPSA) was determined using clinical and laboratory parameters, and echocardiography was performed to estimate DD. Serum MCP-1 concentrations were elevated in PsA patients with DD diagnosed with ultrasound (median (25 percentile, 75 percentile): 366. Read More

J Rheumatol 2022 Jun 1. Epub 2022 Jun 1.

AJ Mathew DNB, DM Centre for Prognosis Studies in the Rheumatic Diseases, Psoriatic Arthritis Program, Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto Ontario, Canada. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Copenhagen Center for Arthritis and Research (COPECARE), Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Centre of Head and Orthopedics, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark. Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. M Sutton MSc Centre for Prognosis Studies in the Rheumatic Diseases, Psoriatic Arthritis Program, Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto Ontario, Canada. D Pereira MSc Centre for Prognosis Studies in the Rheumatic Diseases, Psoriatic Arthritis Program, Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto Ontario, Canada. DD Gladman MD, FRCPC Centre for Prognosis Studies in the Rheumatic Diseases, Psoriatic Arthritis Program, Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto Ontario, Canada. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. V Chandran DM, PhD, FRCPC Centre for Prognosis Studies in the Rheumatic Diseases, Psoriatic Arthritis Program, Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto Ontario, Canada. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Potential conflicts of interest: None. Address for correspondence: Dr. Vinod Chandran, 1E416, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto Ontario, Canada, M5T2S8. Email:

Objective: Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of conventional and targeted disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (cDMARDs and tDMARDs, respectively) in treating enthesitis in PsA.

Methods: Patients with active enthesitis, defined as ≥1 tender entheses (of 29 sites included in the spondyloarthritis research consortium of Canada enthesitis index, the Leeds enthesitis index, and the Maastricht ankylosing spondylitis enthesitis score), enrolled in a large PsA cohort were included. Medications at baseline were classified into 3 mutually exclusive categories: 1. Read More

Clin Drug Investig 2022 Jun 28;42(6):525-531. Epub 2022 May 28.

Section of Dermatology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.

Background And Objective: Biologics for psoriasis, especially anti-tumor necrosis factor-α therapies, may reactivate hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, as well in inactive carriers or patients with occult infection. However, some biologics, including anti-interleukin-17 therapies such as secukinumab, seem to be less likely to cause hepatitis reactivation. This study assessed the safety of secukinumab treatment in patients with psoriasis with HBV or HBC infection. Read More

J Nucl Med 2022 May 19. Epub 2022 May 19.

University of California Davis, United States.

Autoimmune inflammatory arthritides (AIA), such as psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), are chronic systemic conditions that affect multiple joints of the body. Recently, total-body (TB) PET/CT scanners have become available that exhibit superior technical characteristics (total-body coverage, geometric sensitivity) that could benefit AIA evaluation, compared to conventional PET/CT systems. The objectives of this work were to (1) assess the performance of an ultra-low-dose, F-FDG TB-PET/CT acquisition protocol for evaluating systemic joint involvement in AIA; and (2) report the association of TB-PET/CT measures with joint-by-joint rheumatologic examination and standardized rheumatologic outcome measures. Read More

Arthritis Res Ther 2022 05 16;24(1):111. Epub 2022 May 16.

CIRI/Rheumatology and Fraunhofer TMP, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.

Objective: To investigate the imaging characteristics and clinically assess heel enthesitis in spondyloarthritis (SpA) by applying in a post hoc analysis the Heel Enthesitis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scoring system (HEMRIS) in blinded and centrally-read MRI data from the ACHILLES trial (NCT02771210).

Methods: ACHILLES included patients (≥18 years) with active psoriatic arthritis or axial SpA with clinical and MRI-positive heel enthesitis refractory to standard treatment. Patients were randomized to receive subcutaneous secukinumab 150/300 mg or placebo. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 05 5;19(9). Epub 2022 May 5.

Department of Dermatology, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury, 10-900 Olsztyn, Poland.

The assessment of psoriatic nail changes in everyday practice is based exclusively on clinical symptoms that do not reflect the entire disease process in the nail apparatus. The use of imaging methods, especially widely available and inexpensive ultrasonography, creates the possibility of additional revealing and assessing grayscale of morphological changes of the ventral nail plate, nail bed, and matrix, as well as the attachment of the finger extensor tendon to the distal phalanx. What is more, it enables the assessment of inflammation severity in the power Doppler technique. Read More

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2022 Apr 20. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

Pediatric Translational Research Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Objectives: To evaluate the current practices in management of patients with juvenile spondyloarthritis (JSpA) who failed anti-tumour necrosis factor agents (anti-TNF).

Methods: An online survey was distributed to Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) members of the JIA workgroup. Data collection included estimated number of JSpA patients who have failed anti-TNF therapy over two-year period, reasons for discontinuing anti-TNF therapy and other medications used afterward. Read More

J Clin Med 2022 Apr 3;11(7). Epub 2022 Apr 3.

Division of Rheumatology, Department Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, 06230 Ankara, Turkey.

The aim of this study was to determine the distribution different types of osteoproliferative lesions on the lumbar spine and their relations in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) under biologic-disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug therapy. T12-S1 corners were evaluated in 182/274 (66.4%) patients with lumbar radiographs. Read More

Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2022 May 4;95:105640. Epub 2022 Apr 4.

Izmir Katip Celebi University School of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, İzmir, Turkey.

Background: Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory arthropathy accompanied by peripheral and axial joint involvement. Hand involvement has been demonstrated by various imaging methods in patients with psoriatic arthritis. However, few studies evaluated the hand in terms of functionality. Read More

J Dermatolog Treat 2022 Apr 11:1-5. Epub 2022 Apr 11.

Section of Dermatology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.

Background: Some biologics for psoriasis, especially anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α therapies, may re-activate latent tuberculosis (TBC) infection with consequent morbidity and mortality. However, there is a low reported incidence of conversion to positive TBC status among patients with psoriasis treated with second-generation biologic therapies, particularly anti-interleukin (IL)-17 therapies such as secukinumab.

Objectives: To evaluate the safety profile of secukinumab in psoriasis patients with latent TBC infection. Read More

Front Med (Lausanne) 2022 18;9:845545. Epub 2022 Mar 18.

Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Objectives: Early diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is crucial for a patient outcome but hampered by heterogenous manifestation and a lack of specific biomarkers. We recently showed that fluorescence optical imaging (FOI) can differentiate between patients with confirmed and suspected PsA. This study aims to follow-up (FU) patients with confirmed and suspected PsA focusing on patients with a change from suspected to confirmed PsA by the use of FOI in comparison with musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS). Read More

Exp Dermatol 2022 Jun 22;31(6):828-840. Epub 2022 Apr 22.

Department of Dermatology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg and Frederiskberg, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Background: The growing interest in the visualization of psoriatic nail unit changes has led to the discovery of an abundance of image characteristics across various modalities.

Objective: To identify techniques for non-invasive imaging of nail unit structures in psoriatic patients and review extracted image features to unify the diverse terminology.

Methods: For this systematic scoping review, we included studies available on PubMed and Embase, independently extracted image characteristics, and semantically grouped the identified features to suggest a preferred terminology for each technique. Read More

RMD Open 2022 03;8(1)

The Parker Institute, Frederiksberg, Denmark.

Objective: Can ultrasound (US), MRI and X-ray applied to the distal interphalangeal (DIP)-joint and synovio-entheseal complex (SEC) discriminate between patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), skin psoriasis (PsO) and hand osteoarthritis (OA)?

Methods: In this prospective, cross-sectional study, patients with DIP-joint PsA and nail involvement (n=50), PsO with nail involvement (n=12); and OA (n=13); were consecutively recruited. Risk ratios (RR) were calculated for US, MRI and X-ray findings of the DIP-joint and SEC between diagnoses.

Results: New bone formation (NBF) in US and MRI was a hallmark of OA, reducing the risk of having PsA (RR 0. Read More

J Rheumatol 2022 Jun 15;49(6 Suppl 1):67-71. Epub 2022 Mar 15.

G.S. Kaeley, MD, MBBS, MRCP, RhMSUS, Professor of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

The ability to visualize musculoskeletal structures with high-resolution ultrasound is an asset to understanding the complexity of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). During the 2021 Annual Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) meeting, 3 topics were presented and discussed in the ultrasound workshop: (1) the progress on the Diagnostic Ultrasound Enthesitis Tool (DUET) project; (2) the sonographic evaluation of joints in PsA-GRAPPA joint project; and (3) extrasynovial lesions in PsA. The ultrasound group aims to develop sonographic tools that are feasible and can be used in standard care to diagnose PsA early. Read More

J Rheumatol 2022 Jun 15;49(6 Suppl 1):72-74. Epub 2022 Mar 15.

M. Østergaard, MD, PhD, DMSc, Copenhagen Center for Arthritis Research (COPECARE), Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Centre for Head and Orthopaedics, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

There has been a resurgence of interest in defining the axial inflammation component of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) since recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) raised the possibility that this entity may respond differentially to therapeutics compared to patients with axial spondyloarthritis. A workshop was conducted during the 2021 Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis annual meeting to review the literature on diagnosing PsA and to determine which criteria might be most appropriate. There was quite strong agreement that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) had an important role to play in helping to define axial inflammation in PsA and that a data-driven methodology for generating optimal MRI quantitative cut-offs for lesions in the sacroiliac joints and/or spine that reflect imaging typical of axial inflammation in PsA would be most desirable. Read More

Pol J Radiol 2022 20;87:e93-e112. Epub 2022 Feb 20.

Department of Radiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is extremely useful in the early diagnosis of rheumatologic diseases, as well as in the monitoring of treatment response and disease progression to optimize long-term clinical outcomes. MRI is highly sensitive and specific in detecting the common findings in rheumatologic diseases, such as bone marrow oedema, cartilage disruption, articular erosions, joint effusions, bursal effusions, tendon sheath effusions, and synovitis. This imaging modality can demonstrate structural changes of cartilage and bone destruction years earlier than radiographs. Read More

Ann Rheum Dis 2022 Jun 3;81(6):815-822. Epub 2022 Mar 3.

Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an oral selective tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, deucravacitinib, in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: In this double-blind, phase II trial, 203 patients with PsA were randomised 1:1:1 to placebo, deucravacitinib 6 mg once a day or 12 mg once a day. The primary endpoint was American College of Rheumatology-20 (ACR-20) response at week 16. Read More

J Clin Ultrasound 2022 May 2;50(4):556-560. Epub 2022 Mar 2.

Radiology Institute, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.

The prevalence of psoriatic arthritis among patients with psoriasis has a marked variability with ethnic and geographic variations. Inflammatory changes associated with psoriatic arthritis include bone erosion, tenosynovitis, and synovial hypertrophy, but enthesitis is considered the hallmark. Both X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are usefull in the diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis, but ultrasonography is the best imaging modality to assess entheses. Read More

Open Access Rheumatol 2021 22;13:343-352. Epub 2021 Dec 22.

Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Clinical Department, Medical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit/Competitive, Interdisciplinary Research Integrated Platform', ReForm-UDJG, "Dunarea de Jos" University, Galati, Romania.

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that can lead to severe functional impairment and irreversible damage. The diagnosis can be difficult in early cases where the clinical exam is often scarce. The lack of a serological biomarker can lead to a considerable delay in diagnosis. Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2022 Feb 25. Epub 2022 Feb 25.

Department of Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology (including Nutrition Medicine), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Enthesitis is considered a hallmark manifestation of spondyloarthritis including axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Detection of enthesitis might be challenging in both diagnostic and classification processes. In this debate, we discuss the controversy on the role of imaging in the detection of enthesitis including the relevance for treatment decisions in spondyloarthritis. Read More

J Rheumatol 2022 Jun 15;49(6 Suppl 1):1-3. Epub 2022 Feb 15.

L.V. McFarland, MS, PhD, Consultant, Public Health Reserves Corps, Seattle, Washington, USA.

The Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) held its annual meeting in 2021 in an online format due to travel restrictions during the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. The virtual meeting was attended by rheumatologists, dermatologists, representatives of biopharmaceutical companies, and patient research partners. Similar to previous years, GRAPPA's annual meeting focused on the 3 overlapping missions of education, research, and clinical care of psoriatic disease (PsD). Read More

J Rheumatol 2022 Jun 15;49(6 Suppl 1):20-25. Epub 2022 Feb 15.

W. Tillett, PhD, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.

The Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA)-Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) Core Set working group is focused on the development of a core set of instruments used to assess the domains described in the 2016 PsA Core Domain Set. At the 2021 annual meeting, the group presented an update on the domain of structural damage. In this report, we discuss the steps taken to assess the domain match and feasibility of plain radiographic instruments in the assessment of structural damage in PsA. Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2022 Feb 14. Epub 2022 Feb 14.

Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Objectives: To define imaging sub-phenotypes in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA); determine their association with whole blood gene expression, and identify biological pathways characterizing the sub-phenotypes.

Methods: 55 patients with PsA ready to initiate treatment for active disease were prospectively recruited. We performed musculoskeletal ultrasound assessment of the extent of inflammation in the following domains: synovitis, peritenonitis, tenosynovitis, and enthesitis. Read More

Reumatol Clin (Engl Ed) 2022 Feb;18(2):69-76

Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social sciences, Department Psychology, Health and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.

Objectives: There is cumulative evidence in the literature supporting a potential role of faecal calprotectin (FCP) as a biomarker for gut inflammation in spondyloarthritis (SpA). However its relevance in undifferentiated SpA (USpA) is still uncertain. The aim of the current study is to assess the diagnostic significance of FCP levels in patients with differentiated and undifferentiated SpA. Read More

J Endocrinol Invest 2022 Jul 11;45(7):1277-1288. Epub 2022 Feb 11.

Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

Purpose: Chronic plaque psoriasis is associated with the presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but the magnitude of this association remains currently uncertain. We aimed to investigate the magnitude of the association between psoriasis and the risk of prevalent and incident NAFLD, and to assess whether psoriasis severity and/or psoriatic arthritis are associated with a greater risk of NAFLD.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies evaluating the association between psoriasis and NAFLD, as diagnosed by imaging or International Classification of Diseases codes was performed. Read More