International audienceThe objectives of this study were to assess the costs of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in Hungary and to identify key cost drivers among demographic and clinical variables and to compare cost-of-illness of PsA and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Cross-sectional retrospective survey of 183 consecutive patients from eight rheumatology centres was conducted. Mean direct medical, direct non medical, indirect and total costs were 1,876, 794, 2,904 and 5,574 euros/patient/year, respectively. Total costs were in significant linear relationship with health assessment questionnaire score and psoriatic area severity index. Costs of RA were higher in all domains than of PsA. Our study was the first from the Eastern European region that provides cost-of-illness data on PsA. Our study revealed that functional status and severity of skin symptoms were the key cost drivers. The costs of PsA in Hungary were lower than in the high-income European countries

These results indicate a significantly higher immunity to small proteoglycans in RA and seronegative spondylarthropathies than in OA suggesting a possible involvement in the pathogenesis of inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

The PsAQoL, the HAQ, and the EQ-5D are able to distinguish well across levels of PsA severity.

Among 37 patients treated with levamisole for rheumatoid arthritis (n = 19), for Reiter’s disease (n = 4) and for chronic articular brucellosis (n = 14) followed up during 6–12 months, 3 developed agranulocytosis and 3 severe neutropenia. Serum samples drawn before and during treatment were tested for leukocyte agglutinating and lymphocytotoxic antibodies. Leukocyte agglutinating antibodies were induced in 8 patients, in 5 of them in association with agranulocytosis or neutropenia. In 1 patient with agranulocytosis and in another one with neutropenia lymphocytotoxic antibodies were also induced. Two agranulocytotic and one neutropenic patient possessed HLA B27 antigen. In altogether 11 HLA B27 carriers the numbers of circulating neutrophils were significantly reduced during levamisole treatment when compared with those of patients lacking HLA B27 antigen.

No abstract