Simultaneous quantification of bone erosions and enthesiophytes in the joints of patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis - effects of age and disease duration.

Background: Comprehensive simultaneous quantification of bone erosion and enthesiophytes in the joints of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has not been performed. Herein, we aimed to compare the extent of bone erosion and enthesiophytes in patients with PsA, psoriasis (PSO) and healthy controls, assess the influence of age and disease duration on the development of erosions and enthesiophytes and define their impact on physical function.

Methods: Patients with PsA or with PSO and controls were analysed by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT).

A comparative analysis of articular bone in large cohort of patients with chronic inflammatory diseases of the joints, the gut and the skin.

Chronic inflammatory diseases are associated with bone loss. While the occurrence of systemic bone loss is well described in chronic inflammatory diseases, the impact of these conditions on articular bone has not been systematically investigated. Recent refinements in high-resolution CT assessment of the joints now allow the accurate measure of articular bone composition.

Methods for segmentation of rheumatoid arthritis bone erosions in high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT).

Objective: The comparison between different techniques to quantify the 3-dimensional size of inflammatory bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis(RA) patients.

Methods: Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody(ACPA) positive RA patients received high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) scans of the metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP). Erosions were measured by three different segmentation techniques: (1) manual method with calculation by half-ellipsoid formula, (2) semi-automated modified Evaluation Script for Erosions (mESE), and (3) semi-automated Medical Image Analysis Framework (MIAF) software.

Circulating microRNA Signatures in Patients With Idiopathic and Postmenopausal Osteoporosis and Fragility Fractures.

Context: Established bone turnover markers do not reflect fracture risk in idiopathic male and premenopausal osteoporosis and the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in these patients is currently unclear. miRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and bone tissue homeostasis. They are considered a new class of endocrine regulators with promising potential as biomarkers.

Age- and Sex-Dependent Changes of Intra-articular Cortical and Trabecular Bone Structure and the Effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to define normal sex- and age-dependent values of intra-articular bone mass and microstructures in the metacarpal heads of healthy individuals by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) and test the effect of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on these parameters. Human cadaveric metacarpal heads were used to exactly define intra-articular bone. Healthy individuals of different sex and age categories and RA patients with similar age and sex distribution received HR-pQCT scans of the second metacarpal head and the radius.

Subclinical joint inflammation in patients with psoriasis without concomitant psoriatic arthritis: a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis.

Objectives: To search for subclinical inflammatory joint disease in patients with psoriasis without psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and to determine whether such changes are associated with the later development of PsA.

Methods: Eighty-five subjects without arthritis (55 with psoriasis and 30 healthy controls) received high field MRI of the hand. MRI scans were scored for synovitis, osteitis, tenosynovitis and periarticular inflammation according to the PsAMRIS method.

Quantitative and Qualitative Changes of Bone in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Patients.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by periarticular bone loss and new bone formation. Current data regarding systemic bone loss and bone mineral density (BMD) in PsA are conflicting. The aim of this study was to evaluate bone microstructure and volumetric BMD (vBMD) in patients with PsA and psoriasis.

Analysis of periarticular bone changes in patients with cutaneous psoriasis without associated psoriatic arthritis.

Objectives: To search for structural bone changes in the joints of psoriasis patients without psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: 55 psoriasis patients without any current or past symptoms of arthritis or enthesitis and 47 healthy controls were examined by high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT scans of the metacarpophalangeal joints. Number, size and exact localisation of erosions and enthesiophytes were recorded by analysing axial scans of the metacarpal heads and phalangeal bases and were confirmed in additional coronal and/or sagittal sections.

Sclerostin levels and changes in bone metabolism after bariatric surgery.

Context: The role of sclerostin as a key regulator of bone formation remains unknown after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG).

Objectives: The study objectives were evaluation of sclerostin and Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) serum levels after surgery and correlations with bone turnover markers (P1NP, CTX), parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and areal bone mineral density (BMD), changes at total body, lumbar spine and total hip.

Design And Setting: This was a prospective observational single-center two-arm study in premenopausal women with acute adipositas over 24 months.

Biological agents in psoriatic arthritis.

Anti-tumor necrosis factors (TNFs) are effective drugs for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) regarding reduction of pain and inflammation, enthesitis, dactylitis, as well as psoriatic skin and nail disease. Moreover, radiographic progression in PsA is decelerated. The efficacy of anti-TNFs seems to be independent of synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, suggesting only a minor role of combination therapy in PsA.

Serum sclerostin levels are decreased in adult patients with different types of osteogenesis imperfecta.

Context: There are no specific biochemical bone markers available for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), and the role of sclerostin as a key regulator of bone formation in OI is unknown.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the role of sclerostin and its association with bone turnover markers as well as body composition parameters in adult patients with different types of OI.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a case-control study in 27 adult patients and 50 healthy age- and gender-matched controls.

Decreased quantity and quality of the periarticular and nonperiarticular bone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a cross-sectional HR-pQCT study.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a highly bone destructive disease. Although it is well established that RA leads to bone loss and increased fracture risk, current knowledge on the microstructural changes of bone in RA is still limited. The purpose of this study was to assess the microstructure of periarticular and nonperiarticular bone in female and male RA patients and compare it with respective healthy controls.

Differences in bone structure between rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis patients relative to autoantibody positivity.

Objective: To investigate whether trabecular and cortical bone structure differ between patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). So far, no study has performed a detailed comparative analysis of bone structure in patients with RA and PsA.

Methods: 110 patients (60 RA, 50 PsA) received high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT of the distal radius.

The discriminatory capacity of BMD measurements by DXA and dual X-ray and laser (DXL) at the calcaneus including clinical risk factors for detecting patients with vertebral fractures.

Unlabelled: Osteoporotic fracture risk depends on bone mineral density (BMD) and clinical risk factors (CRF). Five hundred and eighty-eight untreated female and male outpatient subjects were evaluated, 160 with vertebral fractures. BMD was measured both by using calcaneal dual X-ray and laser (DXL) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and CRF were evaluated.