How to Involve Patients in GRAPPA Research as Partners.

Patient research partners (PRPs) have been actively participating in the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) annual meetings, working groups, and research activities since 2013. As they have evolved, the PRPs operate as a cohesive group supported by their GRAPPA-approved handbook and policy documents. The number of involved PRPs has increased, allowing more opportunity for the incorporation of the patient voice and experience in GRAPPA activities. In the GRAPPA proceedings, PRPs regularly report on their involvement in the meetings and research projects. During a 30-minute plenary session at the GRAPPA 2023 annual meeting, attendees were informed about the evolving roles of PRPs in GRAPPA and beyond and were asked to provide feedback on their experience and opinions regarding PRP involvement in psoriatic disease research. Here we report the key messages of the session, including polling results, examples of PRP involvement, and ongoing challenges.

Management of Dactylitis in Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis: An Updated Literature Review Informing the 2021 GRAPPA Treatment Recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: This literature review aimed to identify the most efficacious current interventions for dactylitis and provide up-to-date scientific evidence to support the 2021 Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) recommendations on the management of psoriatic arthritis. METHODS: Original articles published from 2013 to 2020, registered in MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library, describing interventional trials and reporting dactylitis-related outcomes were included. The 20 members of the GRAPPA dactylitis group were divided into 9 subgroups according to treatment, and members of each group independently extracted data from articles/abstracts corresponding to their group by using a standardized data extraction form. RESULTS: Forty-nine publications were analyzed, representing 40 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and including 16,752 patients. Dactylitis was assessed as a secondary outcome in 97.5% of these trials and more than 40% of RCTs did not employ a specific dactylitis measure or instrument. CONCLUSION: The emergence of agents with novel mechanisms of action in recent years, such as interleukin 17 (IL-17), IL-12/23, IL-23, and Janus kinase inhibitors, has significantly expanded the available treatment options for dactylitis. This article points out the lack of consensus regarding dactylitis assessment and the paucity of data concerning the effect of local steroid injections, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, and conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Clinical trials evaluating the effect of these traditional and low-cost medications used to treat dactylitis should be encouraged.

Diagnostic potential of the amniotic fluid cells transcriptome in deciphering mendelian disease: a proof-of-concept.

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) is emerging in genetic diagnoses as it provides functional support for the interpretation of variants of uncertain significance. However, the use of amniotic fluid (AF) cells for RNA-seq has not yet been explored. Here, we examined the expression of clinically relevant genes in AF cells (n = 48) compared with whole blood and fibroblasts. The number of well-expressed genes in AF cells was comparable to that in fibroblasts and much higher than that in blood across different disease categories. We found AF cells RNA-seq feasible and beneficial in prenatal diagnosis (n = 4) as transcriptomic data elucidated the molecular consequence leading to the pathogenicity upgrade of variants in CHD7 and COL1A2 and revising the in silico prediction of a variant in MYRF. AF cells RNA-seq could become a reasonable choice for postnatal patients with advantages over fibroblasts and blood as it prevents invasive procedures.

Functional Evaluation and Genetic Landscape of Children and Young Adults Referred for Assessment of Bronchiectasis.

Bronchiectasis is the abnormal dilation of the airway which may be caused by various etiologies in children. Beyond the more recognized cause of bacterial and viral infections and primary immunodeficiencies, other genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) can also contribute to the disease. Currently, there is still debate on whether genome sequencing (GS) or exome sequencing reanalysis (rES) would be beneficial if the initial targeted testing results returned negative. This study aims to provide a back-to-back comparison between rES and GS to explore the best integrated approach for the functional and genetics evaluation for patients referred for assessment of bronchiectasis. In phase 1, an initial 60 patients were analyzed by exome sequencing (ES) with one additional individual recruited later as an affected sibling for ES. Functional evaluation of the nasal nitric oxide test, transmission electron microscopy, and high-speed video microscopy were also conducted when possible. In phase 2, GS was performed on 30 selected cases with trio samples available. To provide a back-to-back comparison, two teams of genome analysts were alternatively allocated to GS or rES and were blinded to each other's analysis. The time for bioinformatics, analysis, and diagnostic utility was recorded for evaluation. ES revealed five positive diagnoses (5/60, 8.3%) in phase 1, and four additional diagnoses were made by rES and GS (4/30, 13%) during phase 2. Subsequently, one additional positive diagnosis was identified in a sibling by ES and an overall diagnostic yield of 10/61 (16.4%) was reached. Among those patients with a clinical suspicion of PCD (n = 31/61), the diagnostic yield was 26% (n = 8/31). While GS did not increase the diagnostic yield, we showed that a variant of uncertain significance could only be detected by GS due to improved coverage over ES and hence is a potential benefit for GS in the future. We show that genetic testing is an essential component for the diagnosis of early-onset bronchiectasis and is most effective when used in combination with functional tools such as TEM or HSVM. Our comparison of rES vs. GS suggests that rES and GS are comparable in clinical diagnosis.

Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA): updated treatment recommendations for psoriatic arthritis 2021.

Since the second version of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) treatment recommendations were published in 2015, therapeutic options for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have advanced considerably. This work reviews the literature since the previous recommendations (data published 2013-2020, including conference presentations between 2017 and 2020) and reports high-quality, evidence-based, domain-focused recommendations for medication selection in PsA developed by GRAPPA clinicians and patient research partners. The overarching principles for the management of adults with PsA were updated by consensus. Principles considering biosimilars and tapering of therapy were added, and the research agenda was revised. Literature searches covered treatments for the key domains of PsA: peripheral arthritis, axial disease, enthesitis, dactylitis, and skin and nail psoriasis; additional searches were performed for PsA-related conditions (uveitis and inflammatory bowel disease) and comorbidities. Individual subcommittees used a GRADE-informed approach, taking into account the quality of evidence for therapies, to generate recommendations for each of these domains, which were incorporated into an overall schema. Choice of therapy for an individual should ideally address all disease domains active in that patient, supporting shared decision-making. As safety issues often affect potential therapeutic choices, additional consideration was given to relevant comorbidities. These GRAPPA treatment recommendations provide up-to-date, evidence-based guidance on PsA management for clinicians and people with PsA.

Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Psoriatic Diseases.

There is increasing evidence of racial and ethnic disparities in the evaluation and treatment of people with psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis, and inadequate racial/ethnic diversity in psoriatic disease (PsD) research. At the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) 2021 annual meeting, a program focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was presented to highlight known health and healthcare disparities in PsD. There is limited understanding of the prevalence and severity of PsD and how it affects quality of life among racial/ethnic minorities with PsD. Educational gaps and lack of diversity in our dermatology workforce may be contributing to challenges in appropriately diagnosing and treating PsO in darker skin types. Racial/ethnic minorities are also inadequately represented in clinical research, including trial recruitment and participation, for PsD. A panel of patient research partners, researchers, and clinicians ended the session with a broad discussion on how GRAPPA can better ensure racial/ethnic DEI in their educational, research, and clinical missions.

Comprehensive analysis of recessive carrier status using exome and genome sequencing data in 1543 Southern Chinese.

Traditional carrier screening has been utilized for the detection of carriers of genetic disorders. Since a comprehensive assessment of the carrier frequencies of recessive conditions in the Southern Chinese population is not yet available, we performed a secondary analysis on the spectrum and carrier status for 315 genes causing autosomal recessive disorders in 1543 Southern Chinese individuals with next-generation sequencing data, 1116 with exome sequencing and 427 with genome sequencing data. Our data revealed that 1 in 2 people (47.8% of the population) was a carrier for one or more recessive conditions, and 1 in 12 individuals (8.30% of the population) was a carrier for treatable inherited conditions. In alignment with current American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) pan-ethnic carrier recommendations, 1 in 26 individuals were identified as carriers of cystic fibrosis, thalassemia, and spinal muscular atrophy in the Southern Chinese population. When the >1% expanded carrier screening rate recommendation by ACOG was used, 11 diseases were found to meet the criteria in the Southern Chinese population. Approximately 1 in 3 individuals (35.5% of the population) were carriers of these 11 conditions. If the 1 in 200 carrier frequency threshold is used, and additional seven genes would meet the criteria, and 2 in 5 individuals (38.7% of the population) would be detected as a carrier. This study provides a comprehensive catalogue of the carrier spectrum and frequency in the Southern Chinese population and can serve as a reference for careful evaluation of the conditions to be included in expanded carrier screening for Southern Chinese people.

OMERACT Filter 2.1 instrument selection for physical function domain in psoriatic arthritis: Provisional endorsement for HAQ-DI and SF-36 PF.

OBJECTIVES: Physical function is one of the core domains to be measured in all trials in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We aimed to evaluate two instruments for physical function in PsA: The Health Assessment Questionnaire-disability index (HAQ-DI) and the physical functioning subscale of the Medical Outcome Survey Short-Form 36 items (SF-36 PF). METHODS: We followed guidelines set out by the OMERACT Filter 2.1. A working group was formed to evaluate each instrument for domain match and feasibility to reach consensus. Two systematic literature reviews (SLRs) were conducted to identify the relevant articles supporting measurement properties of both instruments. Five additional measurement properties were appraised: construct validity, test-retest reliability, longitudinal construct validity, clinical trial discrimination, and threshold of meaning. New evidence was synthesized to fill the gap. Data were presented to the OMERACT technical advisory group (TAG) and the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) community for endorsement. RESULTS: The results for seven measurement properties for HAQ-DI and SF-36 PF were presented in Summary of Measurement Property (SOMP) tables. The working group proposed "Provisional Endorsement" for both instruments. The body of evidence was approved by the OMERACT TAG. In two Delphi exercises among GRAPPA members, HAQ-DI received 93.9% and 97.5% endorsement votes, while that for SF-36 PF were 86.7% and 77.3%. CONCLUSION: Both HAQ-DI and SF-36 PF were provisionally endorsed for the measurement of physical function in PsA trials, using the OMERACT Filter 2.1.

Pustular Psoriasis and Associated Musculoskeletal Disorders.

Pustular psoriasis (PsO) is an uncommon variant of PsO that may present in a generalized or localized fashion with or without musculoskeletal or systemic inflammatory involvement.Generalized pustular PsO (GPP) presents as a widespread acute or subacute pustular eruption that may be familial and is often associated with severe flares and systemic inflammation. The palmoplantar pustulosis variant is localized to palms and soles, whereas acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau is localized to the nail apparatus. Patients with pustular PsO may have overlapping plaque PsO and may develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Pustulosis is also a feature of both synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteomyelitis (SAPHO) syndrome and chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis. At the 2020 Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) annual meeting, members were given an overview of the cutaneous features of pustular PsO, SAPHO, and recent insights into the genetics of GPP, leading to new targeted drug therapies and the development of validated endpoints.

Instruments Measuring Physical Function for Psoriatic Arthritis Endorsed at GRAPPA 2020 Annual Meeting: Updates of the GRAPPA-OMERACT Working Group.

The Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA)-Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) Working Group provided updates at the 2020 GRAPPA annual meeting on its work toward developing a core outcome set for PsA. Working groups were set up for the 4 prioritized domains: enthesitis, fatigue, structural damage, and physical function. Two instruments for measurement of physical function were provisionally endorsed: (1) the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index and (2) the physical functioning domain in the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form survey.

Updated APLAR consensus statements on care for patients with rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: To update previous guidance of the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR) on the management of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: Research questions were formulated focusing on diagnosis and treatment of adult patients with RMD within the context of the pandemic, including the management of RMD in patients who developed COVID-19. MEDLINE was searched for eligible studies to address the questions, and the APLAR COVID-19 task force convened 2 meetings through video conferencing to discuss its findings and integrate best available evidence with expert opinion. Consensus statements were finalized using the modified Delphi process. RESULTS: Agreement was obtained around key aspects of screening for or diagnosis of COVID-19; management of patients with RMD without confirmed COVID-19; and management of patients with RMD with confirmed COVID-19. The task force achieved consensus on 25 statements covering the potential risk of acquiring COVID-19 in RMD patients, advice on RMD medication adjustment and continuation, the roles of telemedicine and vaccination, and the impact of the pandemic on quality of life and on treatment adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Available evidence primarily from descriptive research supported new recommendations for aspects of RMD care not covered in the previous document, particularly with regard to risk factors for complicated COVID-19 in RMD patients, modifications to RMD treatment regimens in the context of the pandemic, and COVID-19 vaccination in patients with RMD.

Test-retest Reliability for HAQ-DI and SF-36 PF for the Measurement of Physical Function in Psoriatic Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Due to no existing data, we aimed to derive evidence to support test-retest reliability for the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and 36-item Short Form Health Survey physical functioning domain (SF-36 PF) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: We identified datasets that collected relevant data for test-retest reliability for HAQ-DI and SF-36 PF, and evaluated them using Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Filter 2.1 methodology. We calculated intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) as a measure of test-retest reliability. We then conducted a quality assessment and evaluated the adequacy of test-retest reliability performance. RESULTS: Two datasets were identified for HAQ-DI and 1 for SF-36 PF in PsA. The quality of the datasets was good. The ICCs for HAQ-DI were good and excellent in study 1 (0.90, 95% CI 0.79-0.95) and study 2 (0.94, 95% CI 0.89-0.97). The ICC for SF-36 PF was excellent (0.96, 95% CI 0.92-0.98). The performance of test-retest reliability for both instruments was judged to be adequate. CONCLUSION: The new data derived support good and reasonable test-retest reliability for HAQ-DI and SF-36 PF in PsA.

Pustular Psoriasis and Associated Musculoskeletal Disorders.

Pustular psoriasis (PsO) is an uncommon variant of PsO that may present in a generalized or localized fashion with or without musculoskeletal or systemic inflammatory involvement. Generalized pustular PsO (GPP) presents as a widespread acute or subacute pustular eruption that may be familial and is often associated with severe flares and systemic inflammation. The palmoplantar pustulosis variant is localized to palms and soles, whereas acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau is localized to the nail apparatus. Patients with pustular PsO may have overlapping plaque PsO and may develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Pustulosis is also a feature of both synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteomyelitis (SAPHO) syndrome and chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis. At the 2020 Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) annual meeting, members were given an overview of the cutaneous features of pustular PsO, SAPHO, and recent insights into the genetics of GPP, leading to new targeted drug therapies and the development of validated endpoints.

Instruments Measuring Physical Function for Psoriatic Arthritis Endorsed at GRAPPA 2020 Annual Meeting: Updates of the GRAPPA-OMERACT Working Group.

The Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA)-Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) Working Group provided updates at the 2020 GRAPPA annual meeting on its work toward developing a core outcome set for PsA. Working groups were set up for the 4 prioritized domains: enthesitis, fatigue, structural damage, and physical function. Two instruments for measurement of physical function were provisionally endorsed: (1) the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index and (2) the physical functioning domain in the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form survey.

Rare versus common diseases: a false dichotomy in precision medicine.

Precision medicine initiatives are being launched worldwide, each with the capacity to sequence many thousands to millions of human genomes. At the strategic planning level, all are debating the extent to which these resources will be directed towards rare diseases (and cancers) versus common diseases. However, these are not mutually exclusive choices. The organizational and governmental infrastructure created for rare diseases is extensible to common diseases. As we will explain, the underlying technology can also be used to identify drug targets for common diseases with a strategy focused on naturally occurring human knockouts. This flips on its head the prevailing modus operandi of studying people with diseases of interest, shifting the onus to defining traits worth emulating by pharmaceuticals, and searching phenotypically for people with these traits. This also shifts the question of what is rare or common from the many underlying causes to the possibility of a common final pathway.

Actionable pharmacogenetic variants in Hong Kong Chinese exome sequencing data and projected prescription impact in the Hong Kong population.

Preemptive pharmacogenetic testing has the potential to improve drug dosing by providing point-of-care patient genotype information. Nonetheless, its implementation in the Chinese population is limited by the lack of population-wide data. In this study, secondary analysis of exome sequencing data was conducted to study pharmacogenomics in 1116 Hong Kong Chinese. We aimed to identify the spectrum of actionable pharmacogenetic variants and rare, predicted deleterious variants that are potentially actionable in Hong Kong Chinese, and to estimate the proportion of dispensed drugs that may potentially benefit from genotype-guided prescription. The projected preemptive pharmacogenetic testing prescription impact was evaluated based on the patient prescription data of the public healthcare system in 2019, serving 7.5 million people. Twenty-nine actionable pharmacogenetic variants/ alleles were identified in our cohort. Nearly all (99.6%) subjects carried at least one actionable pharmacogenetic variant, whereas 93.5% of subjects harbored at least one rare deleterious pharmacogenetic variant. Based on the prescription data in 2019, 13.4% of the Hong Kong population was prescribed with drugs with pharmacogenetic clinical practice guideline recommendations. The total expenditure on actionable drugs was 33,520,000 USD, and it was estimated that 8,219,000 USD (24.5%) worth of drugs were prescribed to patients with an implicated actionable phenotype. Secondary use of exome sequencing data for pharmacogenetic analysis is feasible, and preemptive pharmacogenetic testing has the potential to support prescription decisions in the Hong Kong Chinese population.

Appraisal of Candidate Instruments for Assessment of the Physical Function Domain in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Numerous patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) exist for the measurement of physical function for psoriatic arthritis (PsA), but only a few are validated comprehensively. The objective of this project was to prioritize PROM for measuring physical function for potential incorporation into a standardized outcome measurement set for PsA. METHODS: A working group of 13 members including 2 patient research partners was formed. PROM measuring physical function in PsA were identified through a systematic literature review and recommendations by the working group. The rationale for inclusion and exclusion from the original list of existing PROM was thoroughly discussed and 2 rounds of Delphi exercises were conducted to achieve consensus. RESULTS: Twelve PROM were reviewed and discussed. Six PROM were prioritized: Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and 4 modifications (HAQ-Disability Index, HAQ-Spondyloarthritis, modified HAQ, multidimensional HAQ), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form survey physical functioning domain, and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical functioning module. CONCLUSION: Through discussion and Delphi exercises, we achieved consensus to prioritize 6 physical function PROM for PsA. These 6 PROM will undergo further appraisal using the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Filter 2.1.

Actionable secondary findings in 1116 Hong Kong Chinese based on exome sequencing data.

The use of exome and genome sequencing has increased rapidly nowadays. After primary analysis, further analysis can be performed to identify secondary findings that offer medical benefit for patient care. Multiple studies have been performed to evaluate secondary findings in different ethnicities. However, relevant data are limited in Chinese. Here, with the use of a cohort consisted of 1116 Hong Kong Chinese exome sequencing data, we evaluated the secondary findings in the 59 genes recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. Fifteen unique pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in 17 individuals were identified, representing a frequency of 1.52% in our cohort. Although 20 individuals harboured pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in recessive conditions, none carried bi-allelic mutations in the same gene. Our finding was in accordance with the estimation from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics that about 1% individuals harbour secondary findings.