Physician-researcher Michelle Mulder (Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen) carried out PhD research into improving the care for patients with psoriatic arthritis, which resulted in immediate improvements. She obtained her PhD at Radboud University on September 23.
It starts with the diagnosis. Mulder’s research shows that patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) can most likely be distinguished from each other using machine learning and mapping immune cell profiles. This can help in the early detection of PsA in psoriasis patients.
In addition, the study focused on monitoring the disease activity of PsA patients. Until recently, disease activity was measured in the same way as in patients with RA. The results of a tailor-made, PsA-focused method proved to be more reliable and complete. This new method of measurement was immediately applied in the patient care of the Sint Maartenskliniek.
Another important finding concerns drug treatment. The combination treatment with leflunomide and methotrexate was found to be much more effective than treatment with methotrexate alone. Unfortunately, an increase in side effects was seen. Nevertheless, the Nijmegen PhD student concludes that a combination of the above medicines could be a valuable treatment option.
Bron:
Sint Maartens Clinic