Psoriasis characteristics reported by patients may be used to predict psoriatic arthritis (PsA), according to a recent study in The Journal of Rheumatology.
“This study aims to calculate the incidence rate of PsA over time and identify clinical features that may be used for PsA prediction in psoriasis patients,” explained the study authors.
Researchers studied 1128 participants enrolled in the Utah Psoriasis Initiative between 2002 and 2014 to identify new cases of PsA after enrollment. Statistical analyses were used to estimate the hazard ratio of PsA associated with psoriasis characteristics.
Following psoriasis onset, PsA incidence rate increased for more than 60 years. Results showed an association between PsA and the following clinical features: untreated lesions (P<.001, HR=1.46), history of fingernail involvement (P<.001, HR=2.38), pustular psoriasis (P<.001, HR=3.32), fingernail involvement at enrollment (P<.001, HR=2.04), and Koebner phenomenon (P<.001, HR=1.90). These may be used to predict PsA in patients with psoriasis.
“Risk of PsA increases steadily for >60 years following psoriasis onset,” concluded the study authors. “Patient-reported history of psoriasis characteristics has greater predictive power than physician measured features at enrollment visits,” they continued. “The characteristics identified in this study provide guidance for screening for PsA risk in psoriasis patients.” –Lisa Kuhns
Reference
Belman S, Walsh JA, Carroll C, et al. Psoriasis characteristics for the early detection of psoriatic arthritis. J Rheumatol. Published online April 15, 2021. doi:10.3899/jrheum.201123
