Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in Peruvian aborigines: a report from the GRAPPA 2011 annual meeting

To determine the presence of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in aboriginal people living in the Andean Mountains of Peru.

Consecutive patients with psoriasis and PsA attending an arthritis clinic in Juliaca, Puno, Peru, located 3824 m above sea level were examined. The CASPAR (ClASsification of Psoriatic ARthritis) criteria were used for classification of PsA. Diagnosis of psoriasis was confirmed by a dermatologist.

Seventeen patients [11 (65%) men and 6 (35%) women] fulfilled classification criteria for PsA; one patient was of European ancestry and is not included in this report. Of the 16 aboriginal patients in this report, 5 were natives of Quechua ancestry and one was native Aymara. At the time of their first clinic visit, no native patient with PsA had a family history of psoriasis or PsA, and all patients exhibited an established disease of long duration and severity. Methotrexate was the drug of choice for all patients; 2 patients are currently receiving biological therapy.

Contrary to what has been reported in the literature, both psoriasis and PsA are present in aboriginal people from the Andean Mountains of Peru. More studies are needed to further define the phenotype of these disorders, as well as the pathogenetic role of genetic and environmental factors.