Validation of the Spanish Version of the PURE-4 Questionnaire for the Early Detection of Psoriatic Arthritis in Psoriatic Patients. / Validación de la versión española del cuestionario PURE-4 para la detección precoz de la artritis psoriásica en pacientes con psoriasis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Psoriasis often precedes the onset of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), so dermatologists often face the challenge of early identifying signs of PsA in patients with psoriasis. Our aim was to validate the Spanish version of the PURE-4 questionnaire as a screening tool for PsA, evaluate its performance in terms of sensitivity, specificity, feasibility, reliability, and build validity. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, observational, multicenter trial of adult patients with psoriasis. Initially, patients were assessed by a dermatologist and completed 2 self-administered versions (in print and online) of the PURE-4 questionnaire. Afterwards, the rheumatologist, blinded to the PURE-4 results, assessed the presence/absence of PsA, being the reference to determine the performance of the PURE-4 questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 268 patients were included (115 [42.9%] women; mean age, 47.1±12.6). The prevalence of PsA according to rheumatologist diagnosis was 12.7% (34 patients). The mean PURE-4 score for patients with psoriasis diagnosed with PsA was 2.3±1.1, and 1.3±1.3 for patients without PsA (P<.001). The cutoff value ≥2 demonstrated the best performance for detecting PsA, with a negative predictive value of 95.1% (95% confidence interval, 90.3-97.6). CONCLUSIONS: The PURE-4 questionnaire demonstrated good performance in detecting PsA, with an optimal cutoff point ≥2. This simple tool could facilitate early referral of patients to the rheumatology unit.

Secukinumab: Drug Survival in Clinical Practice Settings. / Secukinumab: supervivencia en práctica clínica real.

Secukinumab, an immunoglobulin G1/κ monoclonal antibody that selectively targets interleukin 17a, is used to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are eligible for systemic treatment. Indirect comparisons of the efficacy of secukinumab, ustekinumab, and anti-tumor necrosis factor agents have found lower drug survival rates for patients on secukinumab, in spite of that biologic's rapid onset of action and efficacy as demonstrated by the large number of patients reaching a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index of 90 or 100. We present data from a retrospective study of 171 patients treated with doses of 300mg or 150mg of secukinumab every 4 weeks in 5 hospitals in the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia. Eighty-seven percent continued on treatment at 132 weeks, contrasting with reports from previously published case series.

[Update of the topical treatment of psoriasis]. / Revisión actualizada del tratamiento tópico de la psoriasis.

Topical therapy continues to be one of the pillars of psoriasis management. Topical corticosteroids and vitamin D analogs are the drugs of choice during the induction phase, and vitamin D analogs continue to be drugs of choice for maintenance therapy. Tazarotene and dithranol are suitable options in patients with certain, specific characteristics. The calcineurin inhibitors can be considered to be second-line treatment for psoriasis of the face and flexures. The efficacy and safety of the fixed-dose combination of betamethasone and calcipotriol in the induction phase is greater than that of either drug alone. The combination of corticosteroids with salicylic acid achieves better results than corticosteroids in monotherapy. None of the drugs evaluated stands out over the others in all clinical situations, and their use must therefore be individualized in each patient and adjusted according to the course of the disease.

Revisión actualizada del tratamiento tópico de la psoriasis / Update of the topical treatment of psoriasis

La terapia tópica sigue representando un pilar fundamental y de actualidad en el manejo de la psoriasis. Los corticoides tópicos y los análogos de la vitamina D son los principios activos de elección durante la fase de inducción, mientras que estos últimos se mantienen como alternativa de elección en el mantenimiento. El tazaroteno y el ditranol resultan alternativas adecuadas en pacientes con determinadas características. Los inhibidores de la calcineurina pueden considerarse tratamientos de segunda línea en la psoriasis de la cara y las flexuras. La eficacia y la seguridad en la fase de inducción de la combinación en dosis fija de betametasona y calcipotriol es superior a la obtenida por ambos principios activos por separado. La combinación de corticoides con ácido salicílico aporta ventajas con respecto a los corticoides en monoterapia. Ninguno de los principios activos evaluados presenta ventajas sobre el resto en todas las situaciones clínicas, por lo que su empleo debe individualizarse para cada paciente y para cada momento evolutivo de la dermatosis (AU)

Topical therapy continues to be one of the pillars of psoriasis management. Topical corticosteroids and vitamin D analogs are the drugs of choice during the induction phase, and vitamin D analogs continue to be drugs of choice for maintenance therapy. Tazarotene and dithranol are suitable options in patients with certain, specific characteristics. The calcineurin inhibitors can be considered to be second-line treatment for psoriasis of the face and flexures. The efficacy and safety of the fixed-dose combination of betamethasone and calcipotriol in the induction phase is greater than that of either drug alone. The combination of corticosteroids with salicylic acid achieves better results than corticosteroids in monotherapy. None of the drugs evaluated stands out over the others in all clinical situations, and their use must therefore be individualized in each patient and adjusted according to the course of the disease (AU)