PSORIATIC-ARTHRITIS - A CLINICAL, RADIOLOGICAL AND GENETIC-STUDY OF 58 ITALIAN PATIENTS

It is well known that genetic heterogeneity and/or the complex interac tion of several R ICH-linked risk factors can explain the onset and th e broad spectrum of Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) from the clinical point of view. Fifty-eight patients with PsA. (Moll and Wright criteria), 35 men and 23 women, mean age of 45, 14, were studied; all the patients were assessed by both clinical and radiological examination, with part icular attention to the sacroiliac joints. HLA typing of the patients confirmed the association between PsA and HLA-B39 (p=0.0008) and Cw6 ( p=0.0011). In addition a significant increase in DQ2 antigen (p=0.004) has been found. No correlation of any particular HLA antigen with cli nical subsets (oligo-polyarticular peripheral PsA, axial PsA and axial with peripheral PsA) or erosive incidence of joint involvement - gene rally related to the duration of the disease - was found.