Association of rheumatoid factor and uric acid with psoriatic arthritis: a review.

Psoriatic arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation of the joints of psoriatic patients. Psoriatic arthritis also affects tissues surrounding the joints including tendon and ligaments. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), recognized for over 100 years, is the second most frequent diagnostic category after Rhematoid Arthritis (RA) and occurring up to 10% of patients with skin psoriasis. Although PsA is a sero-negative arthritis and the absence of rheumatoid factor is a characteristic laboratory finding, it may be present in 3% of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. Hyperuricaemia has been generally accepted as a frequent accompaniment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. It has been postulated that the hyperuricaemia results from increased purine synthesis from the rapid epidermal cell turnover. With its uniquely diverse pathophysiologic and clinical features and the ability to progress into one of the most destructive arthritis known as, psoriatic arthritis (PsA), remains a challenging disease deserving of the attention in recent years. High level of serum uric acid is a risk factor for many diseases like gout, hypertension, coronary heart diseases etc. Patients with PsA remain vulnerable for many diseases like above mentioned one. So, hyperurecemia may play a vicious link with PsA and gout, hypertension and so many diseases. This article may help all dermatologists and researchers for further evaluation of serum uric acid and RA factor in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients.