Fibromyalgia in patients with psoriatic arthritis: Relationship with clinical features of the disease and dynamics of symptoms during therapy with adalimumab, netakimab and methotrexate

The aim – to study of the relationship between the prevalence and severity of fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and the characteristics of the clinical course and type of therapy for PsA

Subjects and methods. The study is based on an analysis of data from 97 patients with PsA, who were prescribed adalimumab (25 patients) and netakimab (34 patients) after the initial evaluation. The remaining patients (38 patients) continued taking methotrexate. In addition to a general clinical and laboratory examination, all patients underwent ultrasonography of painful and/or swollen joints, tendons, and ligaments using linear transducers with a frequency of 12–18 MHz, supplemented by power Doppler imaging with a pulse frequency of 6.6 MHz.

Results and discussion. In the observed patients with PsA, the diagnosis of FM was established in 24 (24.7%) patients. In patients with concomitant FM, the frequency of active enthesitis was increased (70.8% compared to 28.8% in patients without FM; p<0.05). A decrease in the percentage of patients with a diagnosis of FM was found over 6 months of using of biologic agents: from 29.4% to 11.7% among patients taking netakimab, and from 24 to 16% among patients taking adalimumab. In PsA patients with concomitant FM, a decrease in the values of the pain prevalence index and the FM symptom severity scale was noted.

Conclusion. A relationship has been established between concomitant FM and enthesitis in patients with PsA. The use of an interleukin 17 inhibitor in the treatment of patients with PsA is characterized by a reduction in the frequency and severity of clinical manifestations of concomitant FM.

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