Study of serum sclerostin levels in association to entheseal ultrasonography in Egyptian psoriatic arthritis patients

Abstract EN

Introduction Serum sclerostin is a protein inhibitor of the wingless signaling pathway of bone formation whose role in osteoimmunology and inflammatory arthritides is still controversial.

Aim The aim of the present study was to examine the relation of serum sclerostin as one member of the wingless signal protein inhibitors to arthritic and bony manifestation of psoriasis as a model of autoimmune inflammatory arthritis.

Settings and design This was a cross-sectional, prospective study.

Patients and methods The study included 30 psoriatic arthritis (PsA) male patients whose mean age was 43.3±8.3 years and had a disease duration of 3.8±2.6 years, and 15 age-matched and sex-matched apparently healthy controls.

Serum sclerostin was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Disease activity was measured using the Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis.

Ultrasonography of enthesis at Leeds enthesitis sites and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine were also carried out for all patients.

Statistical analysis The independent t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis.

Results The serum sclerostin level was significantly higher in PsA patients compared with controls, with a mean of 0.64 and 0.37 ng/ml, respectively.

Serum sclerostin correlated significantly with Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis, ultrasonography inflammatory and damage scores, and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine.

Conclusion Serum sclerostin could have a significant role in the development of inflammationassociated bone damage in PsA.

Further follow-up studies are recommended to confirm the role of serum sclerostin in inflammation and bone damage in PsA patients and the factors that could regulate this autoimmune pathological event.