title: Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in Peruvian aborigines: a report from the GRAPPA 2011 annual meeting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the presence of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in aboriginal people living in the Andean Mountains of Peru.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Hospital San Juan Bautista, Catamarca, Argentina; Hospital III, Juliaca, Peru.
authors.forename: Sergio M A
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Toloza
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vega-Hinojosa
authors.forename: Vinod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chandran
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valle Onate
authors.forename: Luis R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Espinoza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D044382:Population Groups / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D008727:Methotrexate