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Psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis patients showed similar rates of metabolic syndrome
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MADRID — Patients with psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis had a similar prevalence of metabolic syndrome and hepatic stiffness, according to findings presented at the EULAR Annual Congress, here.
“What we know from the literature is that metabolic syndrome is more prevalent in psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis patients with respect to the general population,” presenter Augusta Ortolan, MD, said in a press conference. “The metabolic syndrome can also express itself at a hepatic level through non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which normally can range from steatosis to hepatitis to fibrosis, in the later stage.”
In the case control study, researchers evaluated 43 consecutive patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and 33 consecutive patients with psoriasis (PsO) but without arthritis who presented to the Rheumatology and Dermatology Units of the University of Padua.
The National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III report criteria were used to define metabolic syndrome (MetS). Insulin resistance was also measured through homeostatic model assessment. Liver stiffness was assessed in all patients through hepatic elastography, with values greater than 7Pa considered indicative of liver fibrosis. Severity of PsO was evaluated through psoriasis area severity index (PASI).
The researchers found the only variables that differed between PsA and PsO groups were BMI (25.7±3 vs. 29.1±6.3); PASI (5±4.6 vs. 1.5±2.5) and serum uric acid (4.9±1.5 vs. 5.7±1.4 mg/dL). No significant differences were seen between the groups in rates of MetS (34.9% in PsA vs. 33.3% in PsO) and liver fibrosis (30.8% in PsA vs. 27.6% in PsO). Analysis of correlation between variables found only serum uric acid, liver stiffness and PASI correlated with other variables. Notably, liver stiffness showed a strong correlation with serum uric acid in PsO.
“On the basis of our data, we may conclude that we observed a similar prevalence of metabolic syndrome and liver fibrosis in psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis patients,” Ortolan said. “In our cohort, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] was more frequent in patients with psoriasis and our data seems to highlight insulin resistance as a key mechanism in metabolic syndrome and in determining its complications, especially NAFLD and fibrosis.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant disclosures.