Psoriasis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Psoriasis, including details on treatment, prevention, medication, causes.

Autoantibodies in biological agent naive patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Johnson SR, Schentag CT, Gladman DD

Centre for Prognosis Studies in the Rheumatic Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFalpha) treatment may be associated with the production of autoantibodies, including lupus-specific autoantibodies. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of autoantibodies in biological agent naive patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: 94 consecutive, prospectively collected, biological agent naive patients with PsA at the University of Toronto PsA clinic underwent clinical and laboratory assessment. Disease activity was assessed by the number of actively inflamed joints, and the Psoriasis Activity and Severity Index (PASI) score. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF), double stranded DNA (dsDNA), Ro, La, Smith, and RNP were tested. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: 44/94 (47%) patients with PsA were ANA positive (>/=1/40); 13/94 (14%) had a clinically significant titre of >/=1/80. Three per cent had dsDNA antibodies, 2% had RF and anti-Ro antibodies, 1% had anti-RNP antibodies, and none had anti-La or anti-Smith antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: The background prevalence of ANA >/=1/80 in patients with PsA was 14%, with very few patients having specific lupus antibodies. This should serve as a baseline figure for the frequency of autoantibodies in biological agent naive patients with PsA for studies of the use of anti-TNFalpha agents.

Published 18 April 2005 in Ann Rheum Dis, 64(5): 770-2.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Psoriasis Research Today. All Rights Reserved.