Does Disease Activity Influence the Levels of Uric Acid in Psoriatic Arthritis?

<p>Background:&nbsp;Hyperuricemia is not only associated with the development of gout but also with renal and vascular dysfunction. The prevalence of this condition&nbsp;has already been studied in psoriasis, but there are a few studies that have been carried out in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Some studies have shown an&nbsp;association with metabolic syndrome, while others with the extent of cutaneous involvement, but there are no studies that have evaluated the&nbsp;disease activity with compound indexes.<br> Objective:&nbsp;The aim of the study was to determine if disease activity, measured by different composite scores, influences the levels of uric acid.<br> Method:&nbsp;This was a cross-sectional, observational study, which included 52 PsA patients. Clinical assessments included dactylitis, tender and swollen joint&nbsp;counts, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, Leeds Enthesis Index, Minimal Disease Activity and Disease Activity for Psoriatic Arthritis.&nbsp;Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid levels &ge; 6mg/dL in females and &ge; 7mg/dL in males.<br> Results:&nbsp;Among the 52 included patients, 55.76% were female. The mean age was 54.9 &plusmn; 11.6 years. Hyperuricemia occurred in 26.92%. Demographic&nbsp;data, diet, comorbidities and medication were similar between patients with and without hyperuricemia. Patients with hyperuricemia had higher&nbsp;waist circumference (p &lt;0.0046). There was no difference in disease activity between groups, either in the isolated items or in the composite&nbsp;indexes. There was a significant difference in uric acid levels according to the classification of chronic kidney disease by estimated glomerular&nbsp;filtration rate (p=0.0016). Individuals using leflunomide had significantly lower levels of uric acid than those who were not using (p=0.0071).<br> Conclusion:&nbsp;This study supports the notion that, in PsA, hyperuricemia is more related to metabolic factors than to disease activity.</p>