PROLOGUE

Prologue: Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA)

P J Mease¹, D D Gladman², G G Krueger³

¹ Seattle Rheumatology Associates and Rheumatology Clinical Research, Swedish Hospital Medical Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
² Toronto Western Research Institute, Psoriatic Arthritis Program, University Health Network, Centre for Prognosis Studies in the Rheumatic Diseases, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
³ Department of Dermatology, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr P Mease
Seattle Rheumatology Associates, 1101 Madison, 10th floor, Seattle WA 98104, USA; pmease@nwlink.com

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a condition characterised by inflammatory arthritis and enthesitis, which can occur in nearly a third of patients with psoriasis. These patients share unique genetic factors and immunopathogenic features in the joints, enthesium, and skin. The clinical characteristics of the joint disease associated with psoriasis have been more clearly elucidated over the past 30 years. Adding to this is an appreciation that standard systemic agents for psoriasis, such as methotrexate and ciclosporin, are also effective for PsA. However, it has been the recognition of the immunological features and the emergence of "biologicals" that target specific immune/inflammatory pathways of selected disease processes that have generated the current excitement and interest in autoimmune disease. These developments have given us new insights into pathogenesis while bringing new, more effective, and safer treatments for both the skin and joints. This supplement of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases is a compilation . . . [Full text of this article]

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