Serum bone-turnover biomarkers are associated with the occurrence of peripheral and axial arthritis in psoriatic disease: a prospective cross-sectional comparative study.

Background: A recent systematic review identified four candidate serum-soluble bone-turnover biomarkers (dickkopf-1, Dkk-1; macrophage-colony stimulating factor, M-CSF; matrix metalloproteinase-3, MMP-3; osteoprotegerin, OPG) showing possible association with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We aimed to: (i) confirm and determine if these four biomarkers are associated with PsA; (ii) differentiate psoriasis cases with and without arthritis; and (iii) differentiate PsA cases with and without axial arthritis.

Methods: A prospective cross-sectional comparative two-centre study recruited 200 patients with psoriasis without arthritis (PsC), 127 with PsA without axial arthritis (pPsA), 117 with PsA with axial arthritis (psoriatic spondyloarthritis, PsSpA), 157 with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) without psoriasis, and 50 matched healthy controls (HC).

Antinuclear antibodies and clinical associations in a british cohort with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of disease-specific autoantibodies in patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc).

Methods: Sera from 180 patients with lcSSc were analyzed for antinuclear antibody (ANA). Clinical characteristics were compared in the presence or absence of specific autoantibodies.

Associations of erosive arthritis with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies and MHC Class II alleles in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To determine the associations of erosive arthritis (EA) with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies and major histocompatibility class (MHC) II alleles in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: One hundred four patients with SLE were evaluated for arthritis and classified as EA, nonerosive arthritis, or no arthritis. EA was further classified as major or minor erosions.