Can Ultrasound-detected Subclinical Inflammation Explain Patient's Global Assessment of Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis Considered in Remission ?

Current data indicate limited correlations between Ultrasound- and clinical findings of inflammation (synovitis, tenosynovitis, dactylitis, enthesitis) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). This can could be in relation with subjective parameters included in composite clinical scores, such as patient's global assessment of disease activity. Indeed, there is often a disagreement between patient's and evaluator's global assessments of disease activity in psoriatic arthritisPsA. This can reduce the chance to obtain clinical remission, as defined by such composite clinical scores.

Does residual clinical activity assessed by the patient (and not by the evaluator) reflect objective inflammation assessed by ultrasound, or is it in relation with other factors such as fatigue or depression?

Objectives:

Primary end point:

In PsA patients deemed to be in remission according to their assessing consultant rheumatologist (i.e. low physician's global assessment of disease activity), to compare the proportion of patients with persistant persistent ultrasound findings of inflammation (i.e. at least one power Doppler synovitis, tenosynovitis, dactylitis or, enthesitis, "= PD>0") depending on whether patient and physician's global assessments of disease activity are in agreement or in disagreement (disagreement between patient and physician's global assessments defined by a difference on a VAS ≥ 30/100).