Assessment of two screening tools to identify psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Many patients with psoriasis have undiagnosed psoriatic arthritis. Low specificity is found with many PsA screening tools. A new instrument, the CONTEST questionnaire, was developed utilizing the most discriminative items from existing instruments. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the CONTEST and PEST screening tools. METHODS: People attending secondary care clinics with psoriasis, but not PsA, completed the questionnaires, were assessed for function and quality of life, and had a physical examination. Patients thought to have PsA were compared to those without. The performance of CONTEST and PEST was compared using area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), and sensitivity and specificity at the previously published cut-offs. RESULTS: A total of 451 dermatology patients were approached, 35% were reviewed and 27 (17%, 95% CI 12.3-21.7) had unidentified psoriatic arthritis. The sensitivity and specificity (95% CI) of PEST were 0.60 (0.42-0.78)/0.76 (0.69-0.83) and for CONTEST 0.53 (0.34-0.72)/0.71 (0.63-0.79). The confidence limits for the AUC overlapped (AUC for PEST 0.72 (0.61-0.84), for CONTEST 0.66 (0.54-0.77). CONCLUSIONS: PEST and CONTEST questionnaires performed equally well, with no superiority of the new CONTEST tool.

Morphoea profunda and its relationship to eosinophilic fasciitis.

In this small case series, all eight patients were women in their fifth and sixth decades. This is similar to the female predominance in morphoea and less in keeping with eosinophilic fasciitis (EF). All cases had diffuse induration of their limbs with both proximal and distal patterns of distribution, and five of the patients exhibited peau d'orange skin. All patients had diffuse induration of the lower limbs and half had restricted ankle movements. Six patients had concomitant superficial morphoea. This group of patients demonstrated a unique subtype of the morphoea spectrum with some features overlapping with EF. However, there appear to be points of distinction, and we propose that some previously reported cases labelled as EF would be better described as having morphoea profunda (MP). Methotrexate may be a useful treatment for MP, hence it is important to distinguish this from EF, as management may differ.

Feasibility, reliability, and sensitivity to change of four radiographic scoring methods in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: We set out to assess the feasibility, reliability, and sensitivity to change of 4 radiographic scoring methods in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Hand and feet radiographs from 50 patients with PsA were scored at 2 time points by 2 assessors with each of the following methods: modified Steinbrocker score, modified Sharp score (MSS), modified Sharp/van der Heijde score (SHS), and the Ratingen score for PsA. The radiographs of 10 patients were scored by both assessors to assess reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Sensitivity to change was estimated using a standardized response mean (SRM) and smallest detectable change (SDC). RESULTS: The patients' mean ± SD age at baseline was 50 ± 12.1 years, the mean ± SD disease duration was 10 ± 8.4 years, and the mean ± SD followup period was 25 ± 9.6 months. Intrarater reliability was excellent for all methods (ICC >0.97). Interrater reliability was highest for the SHS (ICC 0.95-0.99). The percentage SDC for the Steinbrocker method, the Ratingen method, the MSS, and the SHS was 2.9%, 2.1%, 1.4%, and 1.2%, respectively, and the SRMs were 0.46, 0.44, 0.77, and 0.79, respectively. The mean time to score each of the Steinbrocker method, the Ratingen method, the MSS, and the SHS was 6.2, 10.5, 14.6, and 14.4 minutes, respectively. CONCLUSION: The SHS method was the most reliable and sensitive to change but took longer to perform. The Steinbrocker method is the most feasible but lacks the sensitivity of the SHS. The SDC of the Ratingen method is close to that of the SHS and MSS, but is quicker to perform.

Abnormal cardiac enzymes in systemic sclerosis: a report of four patients and review of the literature.

Cardiac involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is heterogeneous and can include primary involvement of the myocardium, pericardium and coronary arteries or be secondary to cardiac complications of pulmonary and renal disease. Primary cardiac involvement in SSc is uncommon but can result in ventricular dysfunction, organ failure, arrhythmias and death. It can remain clinically silent and the prevalence is likely to be under-reported. We report four cases of SSc associated with a raised serum troponin T (TnT), in a proportion of whom cardiac MRI myocardial abnormalities were detected. These cases highlight the heterogeneity of cardiac involvement in SSc, the role of cardiac MRI and promising biochemical responses to immunosuppression. Cardiac biomarkers such as TnT may be useful screening tools to identify subclinical cardiac disease and assess response to therapeutic intervention.

A modified Sharp score demonstrates disease progression in established psoriatic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To use a modified Sharp score (MSS) to measure radiologic progression and to assess its relationship to other radiologic features, peripheral joint disease, and physical function in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Two sets of hand radiographs (median interval 5.75 years) in 139 patients with established PsA were scored using an MSS. Seventy-four patients had standardized clinical joint and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) scores and other radiologic features of PsA documented at baseline and followup (median interval 5 years). RESULTS: Radiologic damage was present in 58% of patients at baseline and 74% at followup. The median MSS and its components, erosion score and joint space abnormality score, were significantly greater at followup (P < 0.001). The median MSS progression was +1.08 units/year. There was strong correlation between MSS and clinical joint scores at baseline and followup (r = 0.72 and r = 0.81, respectively). There was weak correlation between MSS and HAQ at baseline (r = 0.29), but stronger correlation at followup (r = 0.48). There was a strong association between MSS and other characteristic radiologic features of PsA (bony proliferation, periostitis, bony ankylosis) at baseline and followup (P < 0.001). However, the presence of soft-tissue swelling on radiographs at baseline was the only radiologic parameter associated with an increased rate of change of MSS (corrected P < 0.006). CONCLUSION: The MSS shows good construct validity with measures of peripheral joint involvement such as clinical joint scores and other radiologic features of PsA, and is able to demonstrate that radiologic damage is progressive beyond early disease.

The clinical and genetic associations of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies in psoriatic arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Antibodies recognizing a cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) are highly specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but their role in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) remains unclear. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the prevalence of anti-CCP antibodies in PsA and assess their clinical and genetic associations. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-six patients with PsA, 40 patients with seropositive RA and 40 controls were tested for the presence of anti-CCP antibodies, rheumatoid factor (RF) and the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope. Clinical and radiological data were collected prospectively on all patients and compared between anti-CCP-positive and -negative patients. RESULTS: Seven (5.6%) patients with PsA were positive for anti-CCP antibodies compared with 0% of controls and 97% of patients with seropositive RA. The presence of anti-CCP antibodies in PsA was significantly associated with the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (P<0.005), erosive disease (P<0.05), number of swollen joints (P<0.02) and DMARD use (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the increased prevalence of anti-CCP antibodies in this PsA population failed to reach statistical significance. However, when present, they were a marker of disease severity and had RA-linked MHC class II associations. Further studies are needed in a larger population of patients with PsA and appropriate controls to confirm any true association that may be present.

Interleukin 1alpha, interleukin 1beta and interleukin 1 receptor gene polymorphisms in psoriatic arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate polymorphisms of interleukin (IL) 1alpha, IL-1beta and IL-1 receptor R1 genes in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), their relationship to the age of onset of psoriasis and the pattern of joint involvement. METHODS: One hundred and forty well-characterized patients with PsA were studied. One hundred healthy controls were recruited from primary care. All were genotyped for single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes for IL-1alpha (position -889), IL-1beta (position +3953) and IL-1R1 (position +970). The frequencies of the respective variants were compared between patients and controls and in relation to age of onset of psoriasis, to clinical subsets of the disease and to the presence of erosions. RESULTS: All three polymorphisms were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both patients and controls. The frequency of IL-1alpha -889 CC homozygotes was significantly increased in PsA patients compared with normal controls [58 vs 40%, odds ratio (OR) 2.06, 95%, confidence interval (CI) 1.22-3.47]. The frequency of the IL-1alpha -889 C allele was significantly increased in PsA patients compared with controls (75 vs 65%, OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.11-2.45). In subset analysis there were no other significant differences in allelic frequencies for the IL-1alpha -889 C/T, IL-1beta +3953 C/T and IL-1R1 +970 C/T polymorphisms. CONCLUSIONS: The IL-1 gene complex may play a role in the development of PsA and/or psoriasis or act as a marker for other genes on chromosome 2q12 to 2q13.

Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis after the dexamethasone/corticotrophin releasing factor test.

A defective hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis response to inflammatory cytokines may contribute to the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The purpose of this study was to define further the mechanisms responsible for this dysregulation. Six normal individuals and seven patients with active RA were recruited and given an oral dose of dexamethasone at 2300 h the evening before the study. The next day, an i.v. catheter was fitted at 1300 h. Blood samples were collected between 1400 h and 1700 h before and after infusion (at 1500 h) of corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF). Plasma was separated and stored at-20 degrees C before radioimmunoassay for ACTH, cortisol and dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Before the CRF challenge, ACTH and cortisol were significantly increased and DHEA significantly decreased in the patients with RA compared with the controls. Neither ACTH nor DHEA was significantly altered after CRF infusion. Control individuals did not mount a cortisol response to infusion of CRF. Similarly, four of the patients with RA did not respond to CRF. However, in contrast to the controls, three of the patients mounted an immediate and sustained cortisol response after receiving CRF. These data reveal that three of the seven patients with RA were able to escape from dexamethasone suppression and mount a cortisol response to CRF challenge. This suggests that there may be a subpopulation of patients with RA who have impaired glucocorticoid feedback. The implications of this alteration for disease progression remain to be determined.

Patient-initiated hospital follow-up for rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical efficacy, cost and acceptability of a shared care system of patient- or general practitioner (GP)-initiated hospital review in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A 2-yr randomized controlled trial of routine rheumatologist-initiated review was compared with a shared care system. Shared care patients had no routine follow-up but patients or GPs initiated access to rapid review by the multidisciplinary team via a nurse-run helpline. Control patients had a rheumatologist-initiated medical review at intervals of 3-6 months. Clinical and psychological status, resource use, and patient and GP satisfaction and confidence were assessed. Three-monthly clinical data were assessed (blind) for safety monitoring, with failure set at a 20% increase in pain, disability or disease activity. RESULTS: Two hundred and nine established RA patients participated, of whom 182 were evaluable. Safety-net failures were not different between groups. Shared care patients had less pain (24 months, 3.9 cm on a 10-cm visual analogue scale vs 4.8 cm for controls; P: < 0.05), a smaller increase in pain over 2 yr (+ 0.4 cm vs +1.6 cm for controls; P: < 0.01), greater self-efficacy (6, 15, 18, 21 months, P: < 0.05), used 33.5% less resources (208 ponds sterling per patient per year vs 313 pound sterling for controls; P: < 0.001) and were more confident in the system (6, 9, 12, 18, 21, 24 months, P: < 0.01 to P: < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A patient-initiated system for hospital review over 2 yr offers some clinical benefit compared with the traditional system, using fewer resources and attracting greater patient confidence. Longer-term assessment of the system would be appropriate.