Literature on Psoriatic Arthritis

Related ArticlesThe use of therapeutic interchange for biologic therapies.

Manag Care. 2007 Jan;16(1):51-62

Authors: Flood J, Mihalik C, Fleming RR, Strober BE, Zucker DR, Burgoyne DS

Therapeutic interchange is the practice of switching or dispensing drugs that are chemically distinct but therapeutically similar in terms of their efficacy, safety, and tolerability profiles. The stated goal of therapeutic interchange is to achieve an improved or neutral outcome with the new agent while reducing overall treatment costs. Until recently, most interchange programs have been limited to switches within drug classes, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and generally to drugs that use the same routes of administration. Therapeutic interchange now is being applied to some biologic agents, such as those used to treat psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In some cases, these agents differ in structure and mode of administration. Patients who require a biologic agent are often difficult to manage, and the comorbidities that are prevalent in these patients further complicate management and agent selection. Population-based outcomes among various agents may not appear notably different, but because there is no a priori means to determine the effects of a given biologic agent on any individual patient, therapeutic interchange is inadvisable once a patient receiving RA or psoriasis therapy has been stabilized. However, if a biologic agent has been designated as preferred on a formulary, it is reasonable to initiate treatment with that agent in a patient who is naive to biologic therapy if that agent is not contraindicated. Respectful, two-way communication between health care professionals and managed care organizations (MCOs) will help ensure that a patient receives the appropriate therapy at the right time.

PMID: 17285813 [PubMed - in process]

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Related Articles[Epidemiological study of juvenile idiopathic arthtitis in the last sixteen years in Asturias (Spain).]

An Pediatr (Barc). 2007 Jan;66(1):24-30

Authors: Martínez Mengual L, Fernández Menéndez JM, Solís Sánchez G, Fernández Díaz M, Fernández González N, Málaga Guerrero S

INTRODUCTION: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. The results of several epidemiologic studies have shown surprisingly wide variety in the incidence (0.8 to 22.6 per 100000 children) and prevalence (7 to 400 per 100000) of this disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective epidemiological study to identify all patients born after 1989 and resident in Asturias who were diagnosed with JIA using the criteria of the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) criteria. RESULTS: Data were obtained from 60 patients (23 boys and 37 girls). The mean age of symptom onset was 5.6 years, with onset of spondyloarthropathies occurring most frequently in the oldest group. An incidence rate of 2.5/10 5 (3.5 at the present time) and a prevalence rate of 51.4/10 5 children and adolescents aged less than 16 years old were calculated. In 50 % of patients, JIA started with inflammation in one of the knees. The most frequent form of onset was persistent oligoarticular arthritis (41.7 %), followed by spondyloarthropathies (11.7 %), conditions that did not meet the criteria for any category (11.7 %), polyarticular arthritis (11.7 %), systemic disease (10 %), psoriatic arthritis (6.7 %), and extended oligoarticular arthritis (6.7 %). Chronic anterior uveitis was found in 5 patients (pauciarticular group in all 5 patients). Methotrexate was used in 25 children with good response and no relevant adverse events were observed. Only 10 % of our patients are currently in the active phase of arthritis. CONCLUSION: An incidence rate of 3.5/10 5 and a prevalence rate of 51.4/10 5 children and adolescents aged less than 16 years old in Asturias were calculated (taking into account the possible bias of our study). The most frequent form of onset was persistent oligoarticular arthritis and the most commonly involved joints were the knees.

PMID: 17266851 [PubMed - in process]

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Related ArticlesPsoriatic arthritis as a distinct disease entity.

J Postgrad Med. 2007 Jan-Mar;53(1):63-71

Authors: Leung YY, Tam LS, Kun EW, Li EK

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease characterized by joint inflammation associated with cutaneous psoriasis. For many years, the amount of attention directed to PsA had been less than that for various other arthropathies. With the advances in understanding its pathogensis, it is now recognized as a distinct disease entity with characteristic features. Psoriatic arthritis has a greater tendency towards asymmetric oligoarticular involvement, distal interphalangeal involvement and spondylitis. Associated features such as enthesitis and dactylitis are more common. Specific radiological features include ankylosis and bone resorption. With the availability of potent new therapeutic agents for psoriasis and PsA, interest in research and clinical care for these conditions has been reinvigorated. Anti-TNF therapy has achieved encouraging efficacy in both the joints and skin disease, improving function and quality of life and inhibiting radiological progression measured in patients with PsA and psoriasis. Biologic agents may have the potential in addressing the unmet medical need in patients with PsA.

PMID: 17244977 [PubMed - in process]

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Related ArticlesPsoriasiform Drug Eruptions Under Anti-TNF Treatment of Arthritis are Not True Psoriasis.

Acta Derm Venereol. 2007 Jan;87(1):77-80

Authors: Seneschal J, Lepreux S, Bouyssou-Gauthier ML, Hé Liot-Hosten I, Economu A, Dehais J, Schaeverbeke T, Taïeb A

Abstract is missing (Letter).

PMID: 17225022 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Related ArticlesGRAPPA–Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis, Stockholm, May/June 2006.

J Rheumatol. 2007 Jan;34(1):214-9

Authors: Helliwell PS,

PMID: 17216689 [PubMed - in process]

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Related ArticlesThe modified Nail Psoriasis Severity Index: validation of an instrument to assess psoriatic nail involvement in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

J Rheumatol. 2007 Jan;34(1):123-9

Authors: Cassell SE, Bieber JD, Rich P, Tutuncu ZN, Lee SJ, Kalunian KC, Wu CW, Kavanaugh A

OBJECTIVE: Patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) commonly have nail involvement. There is no validated psoriatic nail assessment tool. Recently, investigators developed the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI). Beginning with NAPSI, our goal was to validate a psoriatic nail assessment tool for use in clinical trials, and investigate correlations between nail and other PsA features. METHODS: Fingernails of 29 patients with PsA were photographed and scored. Clinical data were collected. Using the original NAPSI, analysis revealed high interrater variability of nail scores. Twenty patients’ photographs were regraded using the modified NAPSI (mNAPSI). RESULTS: The mNAPSI scores had excellent interrater reliability (Cronbach’s alpha 0.98). Nail scores and physicians’ global nail severity visual analog scores showed good inter- and intrarater correlations (Spearman’s rho 0.85 and 0.90-0.99, respectively; p

PMID: 17216680 [PubMed - in process]

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Related ArticlesThe comparative effectiveness of anti-TNF therapy and methotrexate in patients with psoriatic arthritis: 6- month results from a longitudinal, observational, multicenter study.

Ann Rheum Dis. 2007 Jan 9;

Authors: Heiberg MS, Kaufmann C, Rødevand E, Mikkelsen K, Koldingsnes W, Mowinckel P, Kvien TK

OBJECTIVES: To compare the response to treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors and methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) within a real life clinical setting. METHODS: We analyzed data from an ongoing longitudinal, observational multicenter study in Norway. Our data comprised 526 cases of patients with PsA who received either anti-TNF treatment (n = 146) or MTX monotherapy (n = 380) and were followed for at least 6 months with measures of disease activity, health status and utility scores. A propensity score was computed to adjust for channeling bias. The changes in measures of disease activity and health-related quality of life from baseline to 3- and 6-month follow-up were compared between the groups with adjustments for the baseline value of the dependent variable and the propensity score (analyses of covariance (ANCOVA)). RESULTS: The groups were significantly different at baseline with respect to demographic and disease activity measures. The variables included in the propensity score were age, sex, number of previous disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), presence of erosive disease, treatment center and investigator’s global assessment. The adjusted changes at 6 months were significantly larger in the anti-TNF group for ESR, DAS-28, M-HAQ, patient’s assessments of pain, fatigue and global disease activity on a visual analogue scale (VAS) and 4 out of 8 SF-36 dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical improvement was superior with TNF inhibitors compared to MTX monotherapy in patients with PsA, when assessed in this setting of daily clinical practice.

PMID: 17213251 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Related ArticlesReiter syndrome triggered by adalimumab (Humira) and leflunomide (Arava) in a patient with ankylosing spondylarthropathy and Crohn disease.

Br J Dermatol. 2007 Jan;156(1):188-9

Authors: Thielen AM, Barde C, Janer V, Borradori L, Saurat JH

PMID: 17199598 [PubMed - in process]

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Related ArticlesComparison of different outcome measures for psoriatic arthritis in patients treated with infliximab or placebo.

Ann Rheum Dis. 2007 Jan;66(1):138-40

Authors: Vander Cruyssen B, De Keyser F, Kruithof E, Mielants H, Van den Bosch F

PMID: 17178763 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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