Tailored approach to early psoriatic arthritis patients: clinical and ultrasonographic predictors for structural joint damage

This study aims to identify the clinical predictors of arthritis in patients with psoriasis and to evaluate the use of musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US) as a predictor for inflammatory structural progression in psoriatic patients. Measures of association (odds ratio (OR)) were tested, in a prospective, cohort 1-year follow-up study, between structural deterioration and the presence of baseline inflammation, or its persistence. One hundred twenty-six psoriatic patients were prospectively evaluated both clinically and by US at 0, 6, and 12 months for synovitis/ joint damage, enthesitis, and onychopathy. X-ray was performed at 0 and 12 months. One hundred twelve sex and age-matched pasoriatic patients without histories of musculoskeletal symptoms were included as control group. Structural deterioration was observed in 47 % of the 5,292 evaluated joints. Clinical variables associated with arthritis risk: BMI > 25 (OR = 1.7), body surface area (OR = 1.13), family history (OR = 5.72) and nail involvement (OR = 2.25). BMI > 30 was significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with shorter time for the onset of arthritis. Baseline synovial score/PD score ≥ 2 was associated with increased risk of structural progression: OR = 1.98 versus 2.61 versus 2.66 (P < 0.001) for the clinical versus US-gray scale (GS) versus US-power Doppler (PD) evaluation, respectively. An increased probability for structural progression in the presence of enthesitis was observed (OR = 2.79 and 3.50) for both US-GS and US-PD, whereas OR was 2.46 for clinical examination. Onychopathy was associated with structural joint damage (OR = 2.30). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, persistent of synovitis/enthesitis at 6 months of therapy was predictive of subsequent structural progression. Family history of psoriatic arthritis, large BMI (>25), high percentage of psoriatic body surface area, and nail involvement were significantly associated with early onset psoriatic arthritis. Baseline GS score of ≥2, PD score of ≥2, presence of enthesitis, enhanced vascularity at enthesitis, higher GUESS score, and onychopathy, all at base line as well as persistent synovitis and enthesitis at 6 months are predictors of progressive early psoriatic arthritis. Regular ultrasonographic monitoring of these patients is mandatory to assess the progression of their arthritis status.