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Chaudhari AJ, Abdelhafez YG, Nardo L, Raychaudhuri SP. EXPLORing Arthritis with Total-body Positron Emission Tomography. Semin Musculoskelet Radiol 2023; 27:632-640. [PMID: 37935209 PMCID: PMC10689025 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1775746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Arthritis has significant adverse consequences on musculoskeletal tissues and often other organs of the body. Current methods for clinical evaluation of arthritis are suboptimal, and biomarkers that are objective and measurable indicators for monitoring of arthritis disease activity are in critical demand. Recently, total-body positron emission tomography (PET) has been developed that can collect imaging signals synchronously from the entire body at ultra-low doses and reduced scan times. These scanners have increased signal collection efficiency that overcomes several limitations of standard PET scanners in the evaluation of arthritis, and they may potentially provide biomarkers to assess local and systemic impact of the arthritis disease process. This article reviews current results from using total-body PET in the assessment of common arthritic conditions, and it outlines future opportunities and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasser G. Abdelhafez
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Lorenzo Nardo
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Siba P. Raychaudhuri
- Department of Internal Medicine – Rheumatology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
- Northern California Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mather, California
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D’Angelo S, Atzeni F, Benucci M, Bianchi G, Cantini F, Caporali RF, Carlino G, Caso F, Cauli A, Ciccia F, D’Agostino MA, Dagna L, Dejaco C, Epis OM, Ferrucci MG, Franceschini F, Fusaro E, Gabini M, Gerli R, Giacomelli R, Govoni M, Gremese E, Guggino G, Iagnocco A, Iannone F, Laganà B, Lubrano E, Montecucco C, Peluso R, Ramonda R, Rossini M, Salvarani C, Sebastiani GD, Sebastiani M, Selmi C, Tirri E, Marchesoni A. Management of psoriatic arthritis: a consensus opinion by expert rheumatologists. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1327931. [PMID: 38098852 PMCID: PMC10720668 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1327931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory musculoskeletal disease involving several articular and extra-articular structures. Despite the important progresses recently made in all of the aspects of this disease, its management is still burdened by unresolved issues. The aim of this exercise was to provide a set of statements that may be helpful for the management of PsA. Methods A group of 38 Italian rheumatologists with recognized expertise in PsA selected and addressed the following four topics: "early PsA," "axial-PsA," "extra-articular manifestations and comorbidities," "therapeutic goals." Relevant articles from the literature (2016-2022) were selected by the experts based on a PubMed search. A number of statements for each topic were elaborated. Results Ninety-four articles were selected and evaluated, 68 out of the 1,114 yielded by the literature search and 26 added by the Authors. Each of the four topic was subdivided in themes as follows: transition from psoriasis to PsA, imaging vs. CASPAR criteria in early diagnosis, early treatment for "early PsA"; axial-PsA vs. axialspondyloarthritis, diagnosis, clinical evaluation, treatment, standard radiography vs. magnetic resonance imaging for "axial PsA"; influence of inflammatory bowel disease on the therapeutic choice, cardiovascular comorbidity, bone damage, risk of infection for "comorbidities and extra-articular manifestations"; target and tools, treat-to-target strategy, role of imaging for "therapeutic goals." The final document consisted of 49 statements. Discussion The final product of this exercise is a set of statements concerning the main issues of PsA management offering an expert opinion for some unmet needs of this complex disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore D’Angelo
- Rheumatology Department of Lucania, San Carlo Hospital of Potenza, Potenza, Italy
| | - Fabiola Atzeni
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Experimental and Internal Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | | | - Gerolamo Bianchi
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medical Specialties, Azienda Sanitaria Locale 3 Genovese, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Felice Caporali
- Division of Clinical Rheumatology, ASST Gaetano Pini-CTO Institute, Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Carlino
- Rheumatology Service, ASL LE-DSS Casarano and Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Italy
| | - Francesco Caso
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Alberto Cauli
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine and Public Health, AOU and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Francesco Ciccia
- Rheumatology Section, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta D’Agostino
- Department of Rheumatology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCSS, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Dagna
- Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases (UnIRAR), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Christian Dejaco
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Department of Rheumatology, Teaching Hospital of the Paracelsius Medical University, Brunico Hospital (ASAA-SABES), Brunico, Italy
| | - Oscar Massimiliano Epis
- Division of Rheumatology, Multispecialist Medical Department, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Franco Franceschini
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Dipartimento Continuità di Cure e Fragilità, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Enrico Fusaro
- Rheumatology Unit, University Hospital AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Gabini
- Rheumatology Unit, Santo Spirito Hospital, Pescara, Italy
| | - Roberto Gerli
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Roberto Giacomelli
- Research Unit of Immuno-Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Rome "Campus Biomedico", Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Govoni
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria S. Anna-Ferrara, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Elisa Gremese
- Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Geriatrics, Orthopedics and Rheumatology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli-IRCCS, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Annamaria Iagnocco
- Academic Rheumatology Centre, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Università degli Studi di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Florenzo Iannone
- DiMePRe-J, Rheumatology Unit, Università degli studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
| | - Bruno Laganà
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome-S. Andrea University Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Ennio Lubrano
- Academic Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences "Vincenzo Tiberio", Università Degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Carlomaurizio Montecucco
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, Rheumatology Unit, University of Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Rosario Peluso
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberta Ramonda
- Rheumatology Unit+ EULAR Center of Excellence in Rheumatology, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Maurizio Rossini
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Carlo Salvarani
- Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | | | - Marco Sebastiani
- Rheumatology Unit, CHIMOMO, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Carlo Selmi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Italy
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Enrico Tirri
- Rheumatology Unit, Ospedale del Mare, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Marchesoni
- Rheumatology, Humanitas San Pio X, Milan, Italy
- Ospedale S. Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy
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Meer E, Patel M, Chan D, Sheikh AM, Nicolaou S. Dual-Energy Computed Tomography and Beyond: Musculoskeletal System. Radiol Clin North Am 2023; 61:1097-1110. [PMID: 37758359 DOI: 10.1016/j.rcl.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Traditional monoenergetic computed tomography (CT) scans in musculoskeletal imaging provide excellent detail of bones but are limited in the evaluation of soft tissues. Dual-energy CT (DECT) overcomes many of the traditional limitations of CT and offers anatomical details previously seen only on MR imaging. In addition, DECT has benefits in the evaluation and characterization of arthropathies, bone marrow edema, and collagen applications in the evaluation of tendons, ligaments, and vertebral discs. There is current ongoing research in the application of DECT in arthrography and bone mineral density calculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emtenen Meer
- Vancouver General Hospital-University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Mitulkumar Patel
- Vancouver General Hospital-University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Darren Chan
- Vancouver General Hospital-University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Adnan M Sheikh
- Vancouver General Hospital-University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Savvas Nicolaou
- Vancouver General Hospital-University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Pascu LS, Sârbu N, Brădeanu AV, Jicman (Stan) D, Matei MN, Sârbu MI, Voinescu DC, Nechita A, Tatu AL. MRI Findings in Axial Psoriatic Spondylarthritis. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13071342. [PMID: 37046559 PMCID: PMC10093281 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13071342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Psoriatic arthritis is a significant medical condition with a high prevalence, a wide variety of non-specific symptoms, and a high degree of overlap with other spondylarthritis disorders, particularly ankylosing spondylitis. Hence, knowledge of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) manifestations and a multidisciplinary strategy are required for the better management of these patients. We searched publications from the last 10 years and focused on the most relevant ones which discussed the classification criteria, the MRI characteristics of axial psoriatic arthritis, the importance of MRI for follow up, and the reliability of skin and synovial biopsy. Axial spondylarthritis can be diagnosed and followed up on using the well-established MRI technique and, additionally, a biopsy. The analysis and concordance between them can provide new directions for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicolae Sârbu
- “Sf. Ioan” Clinical Emergency Children Hospital, 800487 Galati, Romania
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
| | - Andrei Vlad Brădeanu
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
- “Sf. Andrei” Emergency County Clinical Hospital, 177 Brailei st, 800578 Galati, Romania
| | - Daniela Jicman (Stan)
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
| | - Madalina Nicoleta Matei
- “Sf. Ioan” Clinical Emergency Children Hospital, 800487 Galati, Romania
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
| | - Mihaela Ionela Sârbu
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
| | - Doina Carina Voinescu
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
- “Sf. Andrei” Emergency County Clinical Hospital, 177 Brailei st, 800578 Galati, Romania
| | - Aurel Nechita
- “Sf. Ioan” Clinical Emergency Children Hospital, 800487 Galati, Romania
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
| | - Alin Laurențiu Tatu
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
- Infectious Diseases Dermatology Department, “Sf. Parascheva” Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital, 800179 Galati, Romania
- Multidisciplinary Integrated Center of Dermatological Interface Research MIC-DIR, 800008 Galati, Romania
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Lehloenya RJ. Disease severity and status in Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis: Key knowledge gaps and research needs. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:901401. [PMID: 36172538 PMCID: PMC9510751 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.901401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) are on a spectrum of cutaneous drug reactions characterized by pan-epidermal necrosis with SJS affecting < 10% of body surface area (BSA), TEN > 30%, and SJS/TEN overlap between 10 and 30%. Severity-of-illness score for toxic epidermal necrolysis (SCORTEN) is a validated tool to predict mortality rates based on age, heart rate, BSA, malignancy and serum urea, bicarbonate, and glucose. Despite improved understanding, SJS/TEN mortality remains constant and therapeutic interventions are not universally accepted for a number of reasons, including rarity of SJS/TEN; inconsistent definition of cases, disease severity, and endpoints in studies; low efficacy of interventions; and variations in treatment protocols. Apart from mortality, none of the other endpoints used to evaluate interventions, including duration of hospitalization, is sufficiently standardized to be reproducible across cases and treatment centers. Some of the gaps in SJS/TEN research can be narrowed through international collaboration to harmonize research endpoints. A case is made for an urgent international collaborative effort to develop consensus on definitions of endpoints such as disease status, progression, cessation, and complete re-epithelialization in interventional studies. The deficiencies of using BSA as the sole determinant of SJS/TEN severity, excluding internal organ involvement and extension of skin necrosis beyond the epidermis, are discussed and the role these factors play on time to healing and mortality beyond the acute stage is highlighted. The potential role of artificial intelligence, biomarkers, and PET/CT scan with radiolabeled glucose as markers of disease status, activity, and therapeutic response is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rannakoe J. Lehloenya
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Combined Drug Allergy Clinic, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Rannakoe J. Lehloenya, ; orcid.org/0000-0002-1281-1789
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Lalani A, Conrad C, Shahab S. Acute Psoriatic Exacerbation Secondary to Infected Pacemaker With Staphylococcus aureus and Candida lusitaniae? Cureus 2022; 14:e25078. [PMID: 35719758 PMCID: PMC9202648 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.25078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Psoriasis is a lifelong chronic hyperproliferative inflammatory immune-mediated disorder. There is a strong association of psoriasis exacerbation with infection of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species. In the case of our patient, a psoriatic flare manifesting as dactylitis occurred secondary to methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia colonization of his pacemaker. If a patient is started on an antibiotic regimen, such as vancomycin, and has symptoms of rash, and swelling in the fingers, it is imperative to ask for a proper rheumatologic history, as vancomycin infusion reaction (previously known as Red Man Syndrome) may not be the cause of the flare-up, such as in the case of our patient. Inversely, patients with psoriasis are more likely to be colonized by S. aureus on the skin and in the nasal cavity, and this can lead to bacteremia and infection of hardware, such as an automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD).
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Wierzbicka JM, Piotrowska A, Purzycka-Bohdan D, Olszewska A, Nowak JI, Szczerkowska-Dobosz A, Nedoszytko B, Nowicki RJ, Żmijewski MA. The Effects of Vitamin D on the Expression of IL-33 and Its Receptor ST2 in Skin Cells; Potential Implication for Psoriasis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312907. [PMID: 34884710 PMCID: PMC8657669 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin 33 (IL-33) belongs to the IL-1 family and is produced constitutively by epithelial and endothelial cells of various organs, such as the skin. It takes part in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, repair, and immune response, including activation of Th2 lymphocytes. Its involvement in pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases including psoriasis was also suggested, but this is not fully understood. The aim of the study was to investigate expression of IL-33 and its receptor, ST2, in psoriasis, and the effects of the active form of vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3) on their expression in skin cells. Here we examined mRNA and protein profiles of IL-33 and ST2 in 18 psoriatic patients and healthy volunteers by qPCR and immunostaining techniques. Potential effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 and its receptor (VDR) on the expression of IL-33 and ST2 were tested in cultured keratinocytes, melanocytes, fibroblasts, and basal cell carcinoma cells. It was shown that 1,25(OH)2D3 effectively stimulated expression of IL-33 and its receptor ST2’s mRNAs in a time-dependent manner, in keratinocytes and to the lesser extends in melanocytes, but not in fibroblasts. Furthermore, the effect of vitamin D on expression of IL-33 and ST2 was VDR-dependent. Finally, we demonstrated that the expression of mRNA for IL-33 was mainly elevated in the psoriatic skin but not in its margin. Interestingly, ST2 mRNA was downregulated in psoriatic lesion compared to both marginal tissue as well as healthy skin. Our data indicated that vitamin D can modulate IL-33 signaling, opening up new perspectives for our understanding of the mechanism of vitamin D action in psoriasis therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna M. Wierzbicka
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (J.M.W.); (A.P.); (A.O.); (J.I.N.)
| | - Anna Piotrowska
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (J.M.W.); (A.P.); (A.O.); (J.I.N.)
| | - Dorota Purzycka-Bohdan
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-214 Gdansk, Poland; (D.P.-B.); (A.S.-D.); (B.N.); (R.J.N.)
| | - Anna Olszewska
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (J.M.W.); (A.P.); (A.O.); (J.I.N.)
| | - Joanna I. Nowak
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (J.M.W.); (A.P.); (A.O.); (J.I.N.)
| | - Aneta Szczerkowska-Dobosz
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-214 Gdansk, Poland; (D.P.-B.); (A.S.-D.); (B.N.); (R.J.N.)
| | - Bogusław Nedoszytko
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-214 Gdansk, Poland; (D.P.-B.); (A.S.-D.); (B.N.); (R.J.N.)
- Invicta Fertility and Reproductive Centre, Molecular Laboratory, 80-850 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Roman J. Nowicki
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-214 Gdansk, Poland; (D.P.-B.); (A.S.-D.); (B.N.); (R.J.N.)
| | - Michał A. Żmijewski
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (J.M.W.); (A.P.); (A.O.); (J.I.N.)
- Correspondence:
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Gialouri CG, Fragoulis GE. Disease activity indices in psoriatic arthritis: current and evolving concepts. Clin Rheumatol 2021; 40:4427-4435. [PMID: 34003419 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-021-05774-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a highly heterogenous disease, with many different clinical manifestations inside or outside of the musculoskeletal system and the skin. It is often accompanied by comorbidities like cardiovascular diseases and mental health disorders. Acute phase reactants are not always elevated and specific markers for diagnosis and/or monitor the disease are lacking thus far. These characteristics possibly reflect the difficulty in agreement about a disease activity index for PsA. Many indices have been proposed over the last years, each of them considering different combinations of disease characteristics. We performed a literature search for relevant articles using PubMed and Embase. No data limits were applied. The keywords "Psoriatic arthritis" OR "PsA" AND "disease activity" AND "index" OR "indices" were used. Reference lists of relevant articles were also reviewed. Articles were also identified through searches of the authors' own files. In this review, we comparatively present the available indices (simple or composite) used for measuring activity in PsA, highlighting their weaknesses, strengths, and disparities. We comment also on the caveats and pitfalls that are encountered in assessment of disease activity, in relation to clinical practice and research. A widely accepted index for measuring disease activity in PsA is lacking. Other parameters, mostly related to patient-reported outcomes and to novel biomarkers might be included in the future, in such indices. Key points • Disease activity in PsA is multiparametric and its assessment is challenging due to many different phenotypes. • Many different indices are currently in use of PsA disease activity assessment. • Each PsA disease activity index has specific pros and cons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysoula G Gialouri
- Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School, Rheumatology Unit, "Laiko" General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Agiou Thoma 17 str, 11527, FirstGoudi, Athens, Greece
| | - George E Fragoulis
- Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School, Rheumatology Unit, "Laiko" General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Agiou Thoma 17 str, 11527, FirstGoudi, Athens, Greece.
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.
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