Achieving international consensus on the assessment of psoriatic arthritis in psoriasis clinical trials: an International Dermatology Outcome Measures (IDEOM) initiative

Efficacy of Leflunomide Compared to Methotrexate in the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Plaques Psoriasis: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

INTRODUCTION

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune skin disease. Several treatment options are available including topical and systemic options. Methotrexate was the main systemic medication in treating severe psoriasis, yet adverse events can limit its use. Leflunomide is an isoxazole derivative that inhibits the synthesis of pyrimidines, and subsequently inhibits RNA and DNA synthesis.

OBJECTIVES

As available data directly comparing MTX to leflunomide in psoriasis are lacking, this double blinded study was designed to compare the efficacy of methotrexate versus leflunomide in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis.

METHODS

The study included 40 patients (25 males and 15 females) with chronic plaque psoriasis. s. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two equal groups, group A for subcutaneous methotrexate injections and group B for leflunomide (loading dose 100mg daily for the first 3 days, then 20 mg daily for 3 months. Disease severity was determined by psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score before and at the end of treatment The treatment response was evaluated at the baseline and weeks 4, 8 and 12 PASI score.

RESULTS

Both groups were matching at the baseline in aspects of gender, age, disease duration and PASI scores Both medications yielded comparable results with no significant difference between both groups in PASI score neither in side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Leflunomide can be as effective as methotrexate in treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis.

Improvements and advances in core outcome set methodology: proceedings of the CS-COUSIN & COMFA Joint Meeting

A COS is a systematically developed list of outcomes recommended for reporting all studies within a particular disease area. The Cochrane Skin–Core Outcome Set Initiative (CS-COUSIN) and the Core Outcome Measures in Food Allergy (COMFA) Initiative Joint Meeting was held virtually on September 23 through 28, 2021. This meeting brought together core outcome set (COS) developers within the domains of dermatology and food allergy, respectively. The meeting assessed the state of COS methodology, provided a forward look, and facilitated the networking of members of individual COS groups. The meeting hosted several expert-led key addresses and focus sessions, in which work was critically discussed, new developments were shared, and groundwork was laid for future projects. The conference emphasized the importance of ongoing COS work to improve patient outcomes and limit research waste.

Telemedicine and psoriatic arthritis: best practices and considerations for dermatologists and rheumatologists

Telemedicine encompasses a variety of modalities that allow for the remote assessment and treatment of patients. The technologies, services, and tools available for telemedicine in the USA are increasingly becoming an integral part of the healthcare system to bridge the gaps in care that can arise from geographic and/or socioeconomic obstacles and provider shortages. Telemedicine can be applied to a spectrum of clinical areas, including rheumatic diseases. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem disease with predominately skin and joint manifestations. PsA is often misdiagnosed and/or undiagnosed, which can lead to worse patient outcomes, including irreversible joint erosion and damage. The difficulties in diagnosing and managing PsA are confounded by the emergence and increased use of telemedicine because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine presents the opportunity to increase access to healthcare by rheumatologists and dermatologists to improve training and education regarding PsA and to decrease time attributed to office visits associated with PsA. However, challenges in diagnosing PsA without a thorough in-person physical examination by a trained rheumatologist or dermatologist exist. We provide an overview of the ways telemedicine can be incorporated into clinical care and optimized for patients with PsA; characteristic clinical features of PsA, with a focus on skin and joint signs and symptoms; screening tools to be used in routine clinical care; assessments that can be used to evaluate quality of life, functional ability, and disease activity in PsA; and resources and recommendations for the development of future telemedicine use in rheumatology and dermatology.

Key Points • Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are often misdiagnosed and/or undiagnosed. • Telemedicine can improve access to healthcare by rheumatologists and dermatologists. • Telemedicine can be incorporated into clinical care and optimized for managing PsA.

Report from the International Dermatology Outcome Measures Initiative

The International Dermatology Outcome Measures is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing evidence-based, patient-centered outcome measures for dermatologic conditions. At the 2018 Alopecia Areata Research Summit, Dr Gottlieb, President of the International Dermatology Outcome Measures, presented an overview of their work in psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, acne, and eczema and discussed the potential areas of mutual interest with the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. Herein, we present a summary of the topics discussed.

International Dermatology Outcome Measures (IDEOM): Report from the 2020 Annual Meeting

BACKGROUND

The International Dermatology Outcome Measures (IDEOM) initiative is a non-profit organization that aims to develop evidence-based outcome measurements to evaluate the impact of treatments for patients with dermatological disease. IDEOM includes all key stakeholders in dermatology (patient, physician, industry, insurer, and government) during the process of developing such outcome measurements.

SUMMARY

Here, we provide an update of IDEOM activities that were presented at the 2020 IDEOM Virtual Annual Meeting (October 23-24, 2020). During the meeting, multiple IDEOM workgroups (psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, hidradenitis suppurativa, acne, pyoderma gangrenosum, and actinic keratosis) shared their progress to date, as well as future directions in developing and validating Patient-Reported Outcome Measures. Updates on demonstrating efficacy in clinicals trials by the US Food and Drug Administration are also summarized.

KEY MESSAGES

In this report, we summarize the work presented by each IDEOM workgroup (psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, hidradenitis suppurativa, acne, pyoderma gangrenosum, and actinic keratosis) at the 2020 IDEOM Virtual Annual Meeting.

Joint American Academy of Dermatology-National Psoriasis Foundation guidelines of care for the management of psoriasis with systemic nonbiologic therapies

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease involving multiple organ systems and affecting approximately 2% of the world's population. In this guideline, we focus the discussion on systemic, nonbiologic medications for the treatment of this disease. We provide detailed discussion of efficacy and safety for the most commonly used medications, including methotrexate, cyclosporine, and acitretin, and provide recommendations to assist prescribers in initiating and managing patients on these treatments. Additionally, we discuss newer therapies, including tofacitinib and apremilast, and briefly touch on a number of other medications, including fumaric acid esters (used outside the United States) and therapies that are no longer widely used for the treatment of psoriasis (ie, hydroxyurea, leflunomide, mycophenolate mofetil, thioguanine, and tacrolimus).

Measurement properties of instruments assessing psoriatic arthritis symptoms for psoriasis clinical trials: a systematic literature review

Introduction: The International Dermatology Outcome Measures (IDEOM) identified 'Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) Symptoms' as a core domain to be measured in psoriasis clinical trials. This domain includes the measurement of pain, patient global and physical function. Herein, we evaluated the quality (i.e. measurement properties) of five candidate 'PsA Symptoms' measures: Patient Global Assessment (PGA) for Joints, PGA for PsA, the Routine Assessment Patient Index 3 (RAPID3), the PsA Impact of Disease 9 (PsAID9) and PsAID12.Areas covered: We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE (inception-to-March 2018) for studies assessing the measurement properties of candidate instruments. Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias of 12 eligible articles using the COSMIN checklist. For each measurement property, we rated the quality of the evidence as 'high,' 'moderate,' 'low,' or 'very low' (GRADE approach) and classified the results as 'sufficient,' 'insufficient,' or 'inconsistent.' Finally, we provided recommendations.Expert opinion: In PsA, RAPID3 had 'very low' quality evidence for 'sufficient' content validity and no evidence of internal structure. Global assessment instruments had 'very low' quality evidence for 'inconsistent' content validity. PsAID9 and PsAID12 had 'low' evidence for 'sufficient' content validity and were recommended to measure 'PsA Symptoms.' Further validation studies will improve the level of evidence of this recommendation.

Measuring psoriatic arthritis symptoms: A core domain in psoriasis clinical trials

BACKGROUND

The International Dermatology Outcome Measures established a set of core domains to be measured in all psoriasis trials. This set requires that symptoms of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) be measured in all psoriasis studies.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the approach to PsA screening and the most appropriate outcome measure for capturing PsA symptoms.

METHODS

Following guidelines (ie, the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments, Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials Initiative, and Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Handbook), we conducted a consensus-building study that included patients, physicians, industry partners, and patient association representatives. The process consisted of a literature review and quality appraisal of measures for PsA symptoms, a pre-Delphi exercise, a Delphi survey, and a consensus meeting.

RESULTS

Among the 297 expert participants in the Delphi survey, 87.5% agreed that all patients in a psoriasis trial should be screened for PsA with a validated screening tool. Regarding the measurement of PsA symptoms, the preferred instrument was the Psoriatic Arthritis Impact of Disease-9 (PsAID9), with the Routine Assessment Patient Index Data-3 (RAPID3) representing an acceptable alternative.

LIMITATIONS

Only International Dermatology Outcome Measures members participated in the consensus meeting.

CONCLUSION

The overwhelming majority of expert stakeholders agreed that all psoriasis trial participants should be screened for PsA, with PsA symptoms measured by using PsAID9 (or alternatively with RAPID3).

Psoriatic arthritis for dermatologists

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) affects up to one-third of patients with psoriasis. It is the major comorbidity of psoriasis because of the likelihood that loss of function and permanent disability will develop if initiation of treatment is delayed. Dermatologists are uniquely positioned to recognize early signs of PsA and be the first-line healthcare practitioners to detect PsA in patients with psoriasis. PsA can affect six clinical domains: peripheral arthritis, dactylitis, enthesitis, psoriasis, psoriatic nail disease, and axial disease. However, not every patient will have involvement of all domains and the domains affected can change over time. Complicating the diagnosis is the condition's similarity with other arthritic diseases and potential heterogeneity. In this article, we provide practical guidance for dermatologists for detecting PsA in patients with psoriasis. We also review the available treatment options by each clinical domain of PsA and give advice on how to interpret the results of PsA clinical trials. Through early recognition of PsA in patients with psoriasis and initiation of proper treatment, dermatologists can help to prevent PsA disease progression, irreversible joint damage, and resultant permanent disability, and improve quality of life.