الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic multifaceted inflammatory seronegative arthritis occurring in 6- 42% of patients with skin psoriasis (PsO). It is characterized by peripheral arthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis and/or spondylitis that finally lead to joint deformities, decreased physical function and poor quality of life (QoL).
Cytokines as IL-23 play an important role in the pathogenesis, disease activity and severity grades of PsA so selective inhibition of this cytokine may hinder the disease progression.
Ultrasound (US) is a novel accessible noninvasive modality that can assess disease activity, detect enthesitis and dactylitis as well as monitor response to treatment.
The aim of the work was to determine the relation between activity and severity of psoriatic arthritis and both serum interleukin 23 level and ultrasonograophic findings.
The current study was conducted on 50 PsA patients diagnosed according to the CASPAR classification criteria and 46 normal healthy subjects who were selected matching the age, sex as well as general somatic features of the patients’ group.
All PsA patients were subjected to clinical assessment of the musculoskeletal system (joints, entheses and dactylitis) as well as ultrasonograophic assessment. Spinal disease activity was assessed by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index CRP (ASDAS-CRP). Skin disease assessement was done by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Fatigue was assessed by Functional Assessment of chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue scale (FACIT-F) by using Arabic version. The disease activity was assessed by using the Disease Activity index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) and the Composite Psoriatic Disease Activity Index (CPDAI). Patients’ physical function was assessed by using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Function Index (BASFI) and the Health Assessment Questionnaire Standard Disability Index (HAQ-DI). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment was done by the Short Form Health (SF-36), the Psoriatic Arthritis Quality of Life (PsAQoL) and the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of life (ASQoL). Severity assessment in PsA patients was calculated and classified as mild, moderate or severe. Laboratory investigation as: CRP, RF and IL-23 serum levels were measured.