The presence of leucocyte migration inhibition factor (LIF) in supernatants from apparently antigen- and mitogen-free cultures of mononuclear cells (MNC) was studied. MNC were eluted from inflamed synovial tissue or isolated from blood. Untreated supernatants, supernatants in which any LIF had been inactivated, and culture medium were compared in their ability to affect the migration of homolog...

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthropathy. Therapy with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α agents represents the first therapeutic choice for moderate and severe forms; however, PsA patients can experience anti-TNFα failure, lack of efficacy, or adverse events. Several evidences exist on the effectiveness of switching among different TNFα inhibitors, and we reviewed the pu...

The number of large circulating hyperbasophilic mononuclear cells - referred to as hyperbasophilic immunoblasts (HBI)- is often increased in collagen disease and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and grossly reflects the degree of disease activity. In contrast, in psoriatic arthropathy the percentage of (HBI) is within the normal range. HBI are mainly involved in immune reactions and may provide a valu...

OBJECTIVE Dermatologists usually see patients with psoriasis before arthritis develops, making them well placed to diagnose early PsA (ePsA). This study aimed to develop a rapid and robust screening questionnaire for predicting PsA in patients with psoriasis referred to a specialized joint dermatology-rheumatology combined clinic. METHODS In all, 228 psoriasis patients naïve to DMARD treatmen...

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthropathy associated with psoriasis and included in seronegative spondyloarthropathy. PsA has several unique characteristics different from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), such as enthesopathy, dactylitis, and abnormal bone remodeling. As compared with synovitis of RA (pannus), proliferation of PsA synovium is mild and characterized by hypervascu...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Up to 30% of patients with psoriasis develop joint disease, the course of which can be improved by early diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study was to describe our experience with a new multidisciplinary psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis unit over a period of 4 years (2009-2012). MATERIAL AND METHODS Implementation of a PSOriasis Rheumatology and Dermatolog...

INTRODUCTION In this issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Gisondi et al (see page 26) present an ultrasonography study showing that otherwise asymptomatic patients with psoriasis often have evidence for subclinical disease involving the enthesis (ie, the site of insertion of a tendon, ligament or joint capsule to bone). The authors suggest that this may represent a useful approach for...

BACKGROUND Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease, characterized by increased levels of TNFα. Anti-TNFα agents have revolutionized the treatment of severe psoriasis by targeting an important molecule involved in its pathogenesis. OBJECTIVES We report the experience of a state referral center that uses anti-TNFα agents for psoriasis. METHODS We conducted a retrospective case series. ...

Psoriasis (PsO) is a chronic immune-mediated skin condition with possible joint involvement. Few U.S.-based studies on PsO and psoriatic arthropathy (PsA) have prioritized recruiting diverse populations. Using the ongoing All of Us (AoU) Research Program, one largest databases sizeable proportion participants from historically underrepresented groups in biomedical research, we conducted prelimi...