Serum Level of Calprotectin and High Sensitive C-Reactive Protein in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis and Their Relation to The Severity of the Disease

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

2 Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is defined as an inflammatory arthropathy correlated with psoriasis and is a member of the spondyloarthropathy family. Laboratory assessments for PSA, which involve C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, often fail to provide accurate indicators of illness activity.
Aim: To assess the serum calprotectin and hs-CRP concentrations in PsA cases and to explore their potential relations to disease activity, skin affection and musculoskeletal US findings.
Patients and methods: The present research involved 55 PsA cases and 30 healthy subjects as a control. All subjects underwent medical history, musculoskeletal examination, ultrasound of hand and wrist joints, lower limb enthesis, and laboratory assessment.
Results: Serum CALP and hs-CRP concentrations were significantly elevated in PsA cases compared to the control group (p-value<0.05). Both markers were positively associated with PASI, DAPSA-28 and US scores, demonstrating their association with disease activity. Receiver Operating characteristic analysis identified optimal cut-off values (˃144 ng/ml for CALP and ˃1.63 milligram per liter for hs-CRP with high specificity and sensitivity.
Conclusion: Serum calprotectin and hs-CRP are promising biomarkers for assessing PsA disease activity, particularly in musculoskeletal and skin involvement. Their integration into routine clinical assessments may enhance disease monitoring and therapeutic decision-making.

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