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Gene Behind Psoriasis Identified, Researchers Say
Posted 19 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 19 – Scientists say they've identified the first gene directly linked to the most common form of psoriasis, known as plaque psoriasis. "We have searched for almost two decades to find a single gene linked to plaque psoriasis," study senior author Anne Bowcock, professor of genetics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in a university news release. "Individually, the rare mutations we have found likely confer a high risk for the disease, and we think they will be important in the search to find new, more effective treatments." In conducting the study, researchers used cutting-edge DNA technology to uncover a rare mutation in the CARD14 gene in a large family of European descent with a high prevalence of plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. They also found the mutation among multiple members of an extended family from Taiwan who had the ... Read more
Related support groups: Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis
Forgoing Medication, for Baby's Sake
Posted 6 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, April 6 – Laura Mokelke was diagnosed with painful psoriatic arthritis when she was just 19 years old. A powerful combination of medications helps to keep her symptoms at bay, including methotrexate, a drug that is used to treat certain types of cancer. Now 30, Mokelke and her husband would like to have a baby. Concerned about the potential effects her medications might have on a growing fetus, the Mokelkes followed her doctor's advice and have been working with her rheumatologist and obstetrician to adjust her medications. "My rheumatologist and gynecologist always told me that the consequences of getting pregnant while taking methotrexate would be devastating," said Mokelke. She said the doctors explained that she would probably miscarry on methotrexate, but that if she managed to carry a baby to term, the baby could very well have severe birth defects. "We were told that it ... Read more
Related support groups: Psoriatic Arthritis
Health Tip: Do You Have Psoriatic Arthritis?
Posted 1 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com
-- Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory joint condition that is associated with the chronic skin condition psoriasis. The Arthritis Foundation says common symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include: Joints that are swollen and painful. Pain and soreness where tendons attach to bone, such as at the heel. Pitting or separation of nails from the nail bed. Back pain. Conjunctivitis, characterized by redness and pain in tissues surrounding the eyes. Feeling fatigued, reduced range of motion in the joints and feeling stiff in the morning. Read more
Related support groups: Psoriatic Arthritis
1 in 4 With Psoriasis May Have Undiagnosed Arthritis
Posted 13 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Oct. 13 – Nearly one in four Americans with the chronic skin condition known as psoriasis may also have undiagnosed psoriatic arthritis, according to a new study. This is in addition to the 2 million people in the United States who have been diagnosed with the disease, a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the joints and tendons and can lead to joint destruction and disability. For the study, the National Psoriasis Foundation conducted phone and online interviews of 477 people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The investigators found that 22 percent of the participants who had been diagnosed with psoriasis-only had significant symptoms of psoriatic arthritis: joint pain, pain that shifts from one joint to the other, joints that felt hot to the touch and very swollen fingers and toes. Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the United States, affecting ... Read more
Related support groups: Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic Arthritis Patients Seem to Lack Enough Vitamin D
Posted 11 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, July 11 – Vitamin D insufficiency is common among people with psoriatic arthritis, but levels of the vitamin in the blood do not affect disease activity, a new study finds. People with psoriatic arthritis have the chronic skin disorder psoriasis accompanied by inflammatory arthritis. The study, published in the July 11 issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research, included more than 300 patients living in Toronto and Haifa, Israel, two geographically diverse locations. Vitamin D levels in the blood – known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH) D] – were measured in the summer and winter. Vitamin D is produced by the skin in response to exposure to sunlight. It is also found in certain foods, including eggs, fish and fortified foods such as dairy products and breakfast cereals. In the Canadian patients, 56 percent had insufficient 25 (OH) D levels during the winter and 59 percent ... Read more
Related support groups: Psoriatic Arthritis, Vitamin D Deficiency, Vitamin D Insufficiency
Obesity as Young Adult May Boost Psoriatic Arthritis Risk
Posted 19 Jul 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, July 19 – People who are obese at age 18 are at increased risk of developing psoriatic arthritis, a new study suggests. Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that develops in the joints of 6 percent to 42 percent of people with psoriasis, a condition that causes itchy or sore patches of skin. The new study included 943 psoriasis patients who took part in the Utah Psoriasis Initiative from 2002 to 2008. Of those patients, 26.5 percent had psoriatic arthritis. The researchers found that predictors of psoriatic arthritis included body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height) at age 18, younger age at psoriasis onset, being female, and having larger body surface areas affected by psoriasis. The earliest onset of psoriatic arthritis occurred in obese and overweight participants. Twenty percent of those who were overweight or obese at age 18 developed psoriatic arthritis by ... Read more
Related support groups: Obesity, Psoriatic Arthritis
Simponi Approved for Immune-Related Arthritis
Posted 24 Apr 2009 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, April 24 – Simponi (golimumab) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat three forms of arthritis that occur when the body's immune system attacks the joints. The injected drug, administered once a month, was sanctioned to treat moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, active psoriatic arthritis, and active ankylosing spondylitis, the agency said in a news release. It's among a class of drugs that target tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). When overproduced, this protein can cause inflammation and damage to bones, cartilage, and tissue. As with similar medicines, Simponi's label will include a so-called "black-box" warning that users face an increased risk of tuberculosis and invasive fungal infections, the FDA said. Common side effects of the drug include upper respiratory tract infection, sore throat, and nasal congestion. Simponi is marketed by ... Read more
Related support groups: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis
New Drug May Help Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis
Posted 9 Apr 2009 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 9 – The drug golimumab shows promise in treating psoriatic arthritis, according to a new study. Psoriatic arthritis affects about 11 percent of people with psoriasis. The University of California, San Diego-led study included 405 patients who still had active psoriatic arthritis after taking anti-rheumatic drugs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The patients were randomly selected to receive injections of either 50 or 100 milligrams of golimumab or placebo every four weeks for 24 weeks. The phase 3 study found that 51 percent of patients in the 50-mg group, 45 percent of those in the 100-mg group, and 9 percent of those in the placebo group achieved the American College of Rheumatology 20 percent improvement criteria (ACR20) by week 14. The improvements were in areas such as swollen and tender joints, pain, disease activity, physical function, and levels of ... Read more
Related support groups: Psoriatic Arthritis
Drug Reduces Inflammatory Arthritis Symptoms, Lesions
Posted 12 Feb 2009 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Feb. 12 – The drug ustekinumab shows promise against psoriatic arthritis (PA), according to a study that included patients from 24 sites in Europe and North America. PA affects about 11 percent of patients with psoriasis, an autoimmune disease that affects the skin and joints. Some patients don't respond to current drug treatments for PA, so researchers are trying to find alternative therapies, according to background information in a news release about the study. It's believed that interleukins 12 and 23 may play a role in PA. Interleukins are immune system-produced proteins that mediate inflammatory reactions in diseases such as psoriasis. Ustekinumab prevents interleukins 12 and 23 from binding to cell membranes. In this study, patients were randomly assigned to receive either: ustekinumab (90 milligrams or 63 milligrams) every week for four weeks, followed by placebo at ... Read more
Related support groups: Psoriatic Arthritis
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