Analysis of clinical, radiological and laboratory variables in psoriatic arthritis with 25 Japanese patients

Disease-specific definitions of new bone formation on spine radiographs: a systematic literature review

Objectives

We aimed to explore the radiographic definitions of types of New Bone formation (NBF) by focusing on the terminology, description and location of the findings.

Methods

Three systematic literature reviews were conducted in parallel to identify the radiographic spinal NBF definitions for spondyloarthritis (SpA), Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH) and Osteorathritis (OA). Study characteristics and definitions were extracted independently by two reviewers. Definitions were analysed and collated based on whether they were unique, modified or established from previous research.

Results

We identified 33 studies that indicated a definition for the NBF in SpA, 10 for DISH and 7 for spinal OA. In SpA, the variations in syndesmophytes included the description as well as the subtypes and locations. The differentiation of syndesmophytes from osteophytes were included in 12 articles, based on the origin and the angle of the NBF and associated findings. The definitions of DISH varied in the number of vertebrae, level and laterality. For OA, five articles indicated that osteophytes arose from the anterior or lateral aspects of the vertebral bodies, and two studies required a size cut-off.

Discussion

Our ultimate aim is to create formal NBF definitions for SpA, DISH and OA guided by an atlas, through a Delphi exercise with international experts. The improved ability to differentiate these conditions radiographically will not only allow the clinicians to accurately approach patients but also will help the researchers to better classify patient phenotypes and focus on accurate radiographic outcomes.

Matrix Metalloproteinases; A Biomarker of Disease Activity and Prognosis in Spondyloarthritis: A Narrative Review

BACKGROUND

Matrix metalloproteinases, as components of the proteolytic system, are deemed to be implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of several rheumatic diseases. Their role in spondyloarthritis has been investigated by several studies.

OBJECTIVE

This article aims to review and summarize the current knowledge related to metalloproteinases in patients with spondyloarthritis.

METHODS

To examine the association between matrix metalloproteinases and spondyloarthritis, we conducted a narrative review using a literature search in SCOPUS for English-language sources. The search included studies published from the database inception to December 2020.

RESULTS

A total number of 74 articles were included. It was found that levels of matrix metalloproteinases 3 were higher in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis patients and seemed to play a role in the progression of joint damage. The levels of matrix metalloproteinases 1, 2, and 9 were upregulated in psoriatic arthritis patients compared to psoriasis and could identify psoriasis patients who would develop rheumatic manifestations. The levels of matrix metalloproteinases correlated significantly with disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis and decreased upon treatment with Tumor Necrosis Factor inhibitors (TNFi).

CONCLUSION

Excessive matrix metalloproteinases activity is associated with articular destruction. Their levels can reflect disease activity, structural damage, and response to TNFi in patients with spondyloarthritis. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to confirm these results.

Imaging of the Nail Unit in Psoriatic Patients - a Systematic Scoping Review of Techniques and Terminology

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.

Results

After screening 753 studies, 67 articles on the visualization of clinical and subclinical psoriatic changes in the nail plate, matrix, bed, folds and hyponychium were included. We identified 4 optical and 3 radiological imaging techniques for the assessment of surface (dermoscopy [n = 16], capillaroscopy [n = 12]), sub‐surface (ultrasound imaging [n = 36], optical coherence tomography [n = 4], fluorescence optical imaging [n = 3]), and deep‐seated psoriatic changes (magnetic resonance imaging [n = 2], positron emission tomography‐computed tomography [n = 1]). By condensing 244 image feature descriptions into a glossary of 82 terms, overall redundancy was cut by 66.4% (37.5%–77.1%). More than 75% of these image features provide additional disease‐relevant information that is not captured using conventional clinical assessment scales.

Conclusions

This review has identified, unified, and contextualized image features and related terminology for non‐invasive imaging of the nail unit in patients with psoriatic conditions. The suggested glossary could facilitate the integrative use of non‐invasive imaging techniques for the detailed examination of psoriatic nail unit structures in research and clinical practice.

Clinical features and types of articular involvement in patients with psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a psoriasis-associated inflammatory arthritis which causes joint destruction. There are some epidemiologic data about PsA; however, there are no sufficient data from Turkey. Herein, we evaluated the frequency of PsA in the Thrace region of Turkey according to hospital-based data. In addition, we evaluated clinical features and types of joint involvement in PsA patients. We included 172 PsA patients fulfilling CASPAR criteria admitted to the Division of Rheumatology, Trakya University Medical Faculty, between 2003 and 2012. Data from Turkish Statistical Institution was used to calculate the incidence and prevalence of PsA. Patients' demographic features, durations of psoriasis and PsA, number of tender and swollen joints, treatment modalities, laboratory data, and X-ray film findings were recorded from hospital files. The annual incidence of PsA was 2.8/100,000. The mean annual incidence was 3.47/100,000 in females and 2.15/100,000 in males. The overall prevalence of PsA in our region was 27.9/100,000 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 23.7-32.1) in individuals >16 years. The prevalence of PsA was higher in females than in males (34.7/100,000 vs. 21.5/100,000). Polyarthritis was present in 67 (38.9 %), oligoarthritis in 47 (27.3 %), spondyloarthritis in 39 (22.6 %), and distal interphalangeal (DIP) arthritis in 19 (11.0 %) patients. The duration of psoriasis was significantly longer in polyarticular PsA patients than in DIP and oligoarticular groups (p values = 0.016 and 0.018, respectively). The number of swollen joints correlated with age (r = 0.21, p = 0.006), duration of psoriasis (r = 0.20, p = 0.01), number of tender joints (r = 0.92, p ≤ 0.001), ESR (r = 0.24, p = 0.001), and CRP (r = 0.17, p = 0.026). The frequency of PsA in Thrace region is similar to that in low-frequency regions. The most frequent type of involvement was polyarticular, and it correlated with the duration of psoriasis and erosive disease.