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Download iProlepsis project applications for psoriatic arthritis. Download onze Apps miPROLEPSIS app The miPROLEPSIS app facilitates the iPROLEPSIS-PDPID multicenter clinical study as a data collection tool that will enable the development of digital biomarkers for psoriatic arthritis symptoms and predictive models for inflammation exacerbation. More specifically, the app performs (i) passive data collection from the sensors of the smartwatch used in the study (i.e., Garmin Vivoactive 5), (ii) passive data collection from the accelerometer and gyroscope sensors of the smartphone, (iii) patient reported outcomes via questionnaires. Moreover, the app includes (i) a custom keyboard that captures the user’s typing dynamics and (ii) photo- and video-based activities for the collection of hand/feet photos and skeletal data related to joints flexibility, respectively. Note: The app can be used only by psoriatic arthritis patients that have enrolled to the PDPID study. This enrollment is available for patients in the UK, Netherlands, Portugal, and Greece. Information on how to enroll in the study and gain access to the miPROLEPSIS app will be provided soon. miPROLEPSIS app The miPROLEPSIS PDPID Study application functions as a data collection tool, utilized during the PDPID study, in order to produce datasets used for model generation and training. The app utilises both continuous and unobtrusive data collection (via bluetooth) from wearable devices, as well as user interactions (questionnaires, reporting etc). miPROLEPSIS Joint Landmarker app The miPROLEPSIS Joint Landmarker is an accompanying app of the miPROLEPSIS app that enables the video-based active tests feature. More specifically, a set of 6 hand and body movement exercises are presented and the user is asked to perform them in front of the smartphone camera. The app captures the videos and extracts skeletal data (coordinates of skeletal joints) locally. The skeletal data will be further analysed to develop digital biomarkers that assess the functionality and flexibility of joints. Note: The miPROLEPSIS Joint Landmarker app cannot be used without the miPROLEPSIS app. miPROLEPSIS Joint Landmarker app This app is a research app that accompanies the miPROLEPSIS app and aims to assess the physical functioning of people with Psoriatic Arthritis. More specifically, a set of 6 hand and body exercises are given and the user is asked to perform them in front of the smartphone camera. The app uses the collected videos to extract skeletal data (coordinates of skeletal joints), which are then sent to a cloud for further processing. Through the skeletal data processing, the aim is to identify whether a patient with Psoriatic Arthritis have difficulties in performing certain hand and body actions. The videos are immediately discarded and no personal information is retained, saved or transmitted.

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Learning hub Explore resources to help you understand and manage psoriatic arthritis. Learning hub Key Facts Handbook News Feed Quizzes Search Psoriatic Arthritis Handbook Intimacy, Reproductive Health and Family Life Handbook How will psoriatic arthritis affect me? RELATIONSHIPS AND SEX Psoriatic arthritis can present a number of challenges in a relationship, namely: reduce your enjoyment of sex and other activities you share with your partner; affect your mood and self-esteem; impact your ability to contribute to household and family related duties; lead to financial worries if your condition affects your ability to work. Although your relationship may change because of psoriatic arthritis, you should remember that most couples go through phases in their relationship that are more or less positive, depending on a number of factors such as stress, work-life balance, or other health conditions. See related Key Facts section h4.1 h4.3 Talking to your partner about any changes or challenges you may be facing is a great way to improve communication in the relationship and arrive at solutions to please both of you. If you are not in a relationship and worry about how your condition may affect your prospects of finding a romantic partner, especially if you have visible signs of the condition, keep in mind that most relationships develop gradually and that shared interests are more important than physical considerations. While sex will not make your psoriatic arthritis worse, it can sometimes be painful when you move an affected joint. Besides the physical aspect, psoriatic arthritis may decrease your sex drive, affect your self- confidence, or make you feel less attractive. Psoriatic arthritis can sometimes lead to a dry vagina, and thus to uncomfortable sex. If this is the case, water-based lubricants can help you and/or your partner. Oil-based lubricants may irritate your skin or damage condoms. To help you overcome difficulties with sex, you should: talk openly with your partner about your physical and/or emotional concerns; keep active as physical exercise can help you strengthen your muscles and support your joints; take painkillers approximately one hour before having sex to minimise pain; try different positions and use cushions, pillows, or furniture to support your body; remember that there are multiple ways to achieve sexual satisfactions, such as kissing, caressing, mutual masturbation, oral stimulation, or even sex aids such as vibrators. See related Key Facts section FERTILITY, PREGNANCY, AND BREASTFEEDING If you are planning to start a family, you should discuss your treatment plan with your rheumatologist, as some medications are not safe in pregnancy. It is completely normal to feel concerned about the effect of your condition on your ability to start a family. People with arthritis may take slightly longer to become pregnant. It is best to try for a baby when your condition is not very active. There is a genetic contribution to psoriatic arthritis, that is, the presence of certain genes makes a person more likely to develop the condition. However, this is not a strictly hereditary condition. There are many factors involved in the development of psoriatic arthritis, not just the genes inherited from parents. Therefore, in the vast majority of cases the chances of passing it on to your children are relatively low. FERTILITY In women, there is no evidence to support that psoriatic arthritis affects fertility (51). However, a recent study indicated that untreated inflammatory arthritis, such as psoriatic arthritis, may decrease male fertility (52). In both women and men, fertility does decrease with age or may be affected by other health conditions. h4.2 Therefore, some people living with psoriatic arthritis will need fertility treatments. If your psoriatic arthritis is under control, there should be no problem to initiate fertility treatments. Discuss any plans for fertility treatments with your rheumatologist. They can offer specific advice, review your treatment plan, and liaise with the medical team responsible for your fertility treatment. See related Key Facts section PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING Discuss your plans to start a family with your rheumatologist so that your treatment plan can be adjusted. If you become pregnant unexpectedly, talk to your rheumatologist as soon as possible. All women get aches and pains during pregnancy. As the baby grows, you may feel additional strain on some of your joints, especially on your hips and knees. While there is not a lot of information on the effects of pregnancy in psoriatic arthritis, studies have shown that the majority of women living with rheumatoid arthritis experience some form of symptom improvement during pregnancy. However, some women will have a flare after giving birth. Psoriatic arthritis usually does not affect delivery and you can still give birth through your vagina. If you are considering a caesarean, you should discuss this with your doctors (rheumatologist and obstetrician). It may be necessary to stop some of your medications before the surgery. You should continue anti-rheumatic drugs that are safe in pregnancy during pregnancy and breastfeeding. This will reduce your chances of any complications during pregnancy and will make flares less likely after giving birth. Many mothers feel sad, tearful, or anxious in the first two weeks after having a baby. However, if these symptoms last for longer or start later on, you may have post-natal depression, which affects 1 in 10 women after giving birth. It is important to seek medical help if you feel this way. See related Key Facts section h4.4 Remember that you are not alone. If you need extra support, please speak to your GP or Health Visitor. More information can be found below: NHS Mental Health Services https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/ NHS Postnatal Depression https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/ conditions/post-natal-depression/overview/ Be kind to your joints and your mind. See related Key Facts Previous page Next page

Over onze consortium partners Gail Heritage University of Oxford Position Senior Research Manager What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? UK PDPID coordinating center Manager What are your main activities in the project? UK Study manager What is your motivation? Contribution to clinical research to enhance patient experiences and disease outcomes. Francesca Levi-Schaffer The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Position Professor What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? Researcher What are your main activities in the project? To try to understand the passage from psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis by evaluating in skin biopsies vascularization, mast cell presence and to correlate this with involved joint vascularization What is your motivation? I would like to discover the connections between skin and joints and find a drug/s that can inhabit this progression Laura Coates Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford Position NIHR Research Professor What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? Lead for WP5 (clinical studies) What are your main activities in the project? I oversee all of the clinical studies within the consortium. What is your motivation? I am a rheumatologist who has worked in research in psoriatic arthritis for around 20 years. My interest is in improving outcomes for people living with psoriatic arthritis and I believe that work in this project can help us to predict, monitor and understand the disease better in day to day clinics. Coordination Clinical Experts Data Science Software Development Ethics, Legal and Exploitation Dissemination and Communication

Learning how to live with psoriatic arthritis might feel like a challenge. But understanding your diagnosis can help you take control of your health. Learning hub Explore resources to help you understand and manage psoriatic arthritis. Learning hub Key Facts Handbook News Feed Quizzes Search Psoriatic Arthritis Key Facts Key Facts Quizzes about Psoriatic Arthritis Take a Quiz Search about Psoriatic Arthritis Search Psoriatic Arthritis Handbook Handbook News Feed about Psoriatic Arthritis News Feed

Over onze consortium partners Konstantinidis Dimitrios CERTH Position Postdoctoral researcher What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? Researcher and technical developer What are your main activities in the project? I am mainly involved in the research activities of CERTH, concerning psoriatic nail detection and classification, range-of-motion assessment through the execution of active video tests and nutrition and physical activity recommendations. What is your motivation? I am deeply passionate about artificial intelligence and deep learning, with a strong interest in uncovering hidden patterns within data that can lead to highly accurate and reliable predictions. I find great satisfaction in developing advanced machine learning techniques to transform data into innovative solutions that contribute to real-world progress. Nikos Melanitis Ainigma Position Data Scientist What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? Data Scientist, Digital health and predictive modelling What are your main activities in the project? To design and implement novel approaches for improved management of PsA, through personalized models that warn patients for high risk of PsA exacerbation (flare). What is your motivation? To be part of the digital innovation in Health, enabling better disease management and personalised, precision medicine. Kosmas Dimitropoulos CERTH Position Principal Researcher (Researcher of Grade B’) What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? Principal Investigator for CERTH What are your main activities in the project? I am mainly involved in the research activities of CERTH, concerning psoriatic nail detection and classification, range-of-motion assessment through the execution of active video tests and nutrition and physical activity recommendations. What is your motivation? I am deeply motivated by the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and healthcare. I aspire to contribute to research that applies deep learning techniques to personalized medicine, enabling more accurate, data-driven, and patient-specific approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Eleni Vasileiou Signal Processing & Biomedical Technology Unit (SPBTU) – Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) Position Research assistant working on digital health technologies and AI-enabled healthcare tools What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? AI Researcher & Data Scientist | Digital health and predictive modelling What are your main activities in the project? My main activities focus on developing digital, passively captured indicators that support risk prediction and monitoring models for psoriatic arthritis. I work on digital phenotyping of inflammatory symptoms with an emphasis on tracking motor manifestations using smart devices and wearables. This involves designing methods to analyze data from daily living activities – such as sleep, walking, and hand movements – to capture subtle physiological and behavioral changes associated with disease onset and progression. These efforts aim to identify key drivers of psoriatic arthritis and support personalized models for disease risk, progression prediction, and inflammation monitoring. What is your motivation? I am deeply motivated by the potential of digital health technologies to bring a more human and data-informed approach to healthcare. By combining AI with continuous, real-world data, we can reveal patterns often hidden in traditional clinical assessments. What drives me is the belief that these insights can empower both patients and clinicians to make earlier and more informed decisions, ultimately improving health outcomes and quality of life. My goal is to contribute to a future where technology enhances understanding, prevention, and personalized care for chronic conditions. Coordination Clinical Experts Data Science Software Development Ethics, Legal and Exploitation Dissemination and Communication

Welcome to our collaborative initiative, a dedicated networking subpage showcasing the synergistic efforts of innovative projects. iPROLEPSIS networking activities Our shared vision is to establish a robust ecosystem of initiatives , where the combined strength of each project contributes to the overarching goal of advancing healthcare and well-being . By pooling our resources, knowledge, and expertise, we believe in the potential for significant benefits both for the collaborative cluster and the individual projects involved. Networking projects funded under the call HORIZON-HLTH-2022-STAYHLTH-02-01 CARE-IN-HEALTH Cardiovascular REsolution of INflammation to promote HEALTH WEBSITE Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of mortality in Europe (1.9 million of annual deaths). CVD are significant public health challenge, accounting for €200 billion in economic burden annually in Europe. Lipid-mediated chronic inflammation and particularly the failure in the resolution of the inflammation, is a particular critical risk factor for the transition from health to CVD. CARE-IN-HEALTH addresses this by aiming to identify the pathways involved in the resolution of the lipid-mediated inflammation to prevent and reverse inflammation and therefore CVD. The interdisciplinary consortium will collect and integrate epidemiological, multi-omics, and immune data to create the CARE-IN-HEALTH Atlas, which will be openly accessible to the scientific community. Such a knowledge base will allow to systematically identify and validate individual’s critical immune pathways. A CARE-IN-HEALTH MCDSS (multi-criteria decision support system) will guide healthcare professionals to design personalised CVD prevention strategies. The CARE-IN-HEALTH BIOSENSOR will monitor inflammation resolution for citizens. CARE-IN-HEALTH will demonstrate proof-of-concept for an appropriate lipid intake as dietary intervention and specifically, for the use of vegetal omega-3 fatty acid sources as substrates for immunomodulatory lipid mediators and resolution of inflammation. All this is based on the results of a proof-of-concept clinical trial. GlycanTrigger Glycans as master triggers of health to intestinal inflammation transition WEBSITE GLYCANTRIGGER - Glycans as master triggers of health to intestinal inflammation transition. The GlycanTrigger project proposes a thorough and innovative approach to understand better the health-to-chronic inflammation transition occurring in patients with Crohn’s Disease that will be translated into improved disease prediction and prevention. The project will address how changes in glycosylation of the gut mucosa act as a primary event that dysregulates not only local mechanisms but also systemic mechanisms, involving the novel concept of glycan mimicry as an early trigger of the health-to-inflammation transition. The long-term goal of this project is to unlock a new checkpoint that regulates the transition to chronic inflammation, aiming to figure out how to turn off this process by developing novel preventive intervention strategies. halt-RONIN Discovering chronic inflammation biomarkers that define key stages in the Healthy-to-NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) transition to inform early prevention and treatment strategies. Downolad PDF to read more. WEBSITE NAFL (non-alcoholic fatty liver) is the most widespread subtype of NAFLD, a highly prevalent inflammation-related disease, characterized by steatosis, relatively benign and reversible condition, which can progress to the more serious progressive stage of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), in which steatosis is accompained by lipotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction and a high state of inflammation and fibrosis. IMMEDIATE Imminent Disease Prediction and Prevention at the Environment Host Interface WEBSITE The EU-funded research project IMMEDIATE strives to identify individual biomarkers of risk and resilience against chronic inflammation by investigating the diet-microbiome-metabolite-immune axis. This complex interaction refers to how an individual's diet, gut microbiota, metabolites, and immune system can influence their health. IMMEDIATE will use cutting-edge technologies and clinical and metadata from large observational cohort studies to identify pre-disease stages and further our understanding of the mechanisms and molecular pathways underpinning non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, a proof-of-concept study on healthcare professionals will be conducted to test the effectiveness of a probiotic intervention and ultimately develop mobile apps designed to offer personalized lifestyle recommendations and empower citizens to manage their own health proactively. INITIALISE Inflammation in human early life: targeting impacts on life-course health WEBSITE INITIALISE (Inflammation in human early life: targeting impacts on life-course health) is an EU funded project that aims to elucidate how exposures and genome impact gut microbiome, host immune system and metabolism, and how the interplay of these factors impact life-course health.  INITIALISE aims to define the role of the maturation of the immune system as a mediator between exposures and life-course health. INTERCEPT-T2D Early Interception of Inflammatory-mediated Type 2 Diabetes WEBSITE Inflammatory-based interceptive medicine in type 2 diabetes Individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) do not use insulin efficiently and, therefore, their glucose levels rise. T2D is a heterogeneous disease, which is an obstacle to the delivery of an optimal tailored treatment. Consequently, patients’ individual trajectories of progressive hyperglycaemia and risk of chronic complications such as stroke, heart attacks, nephropathy and retinopathy are so far difficult to predict. Chronic systemic inflammation has been suggested to be a major contributor to the onset and progression of T2D complications. The EU-funded INTERCEPT-T2D project will bring a new and clinically relevant dimension in T2D care considering at diagnosis inflammatory parameters that are of importance for the transition to T2D-related complications. Moreover, the project will help deliver optimal treatments tailored to patient needs and conduct a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of anti-inflammatory strategies. miGut-Health Personalised blueprint intestinal health WEBSITE The miGut-Health project is an EU-funded initiative that is developing novel strategies to predict and prevent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). miGut-Health aims to create personalised patient engagement strategies for predicting and monitoring preclinical IBD by focusing on the transitory phase from health to disease. The overarching goal is to provide strategies for early disease prediction, prevention and gut health improvement for people affected by IBD, high-risk individuals and citizens. AIDA An Artificially Intelligent Diagnostic Assistant for gastric inflammation WEBSITE Most cases of gastric cancer (GC) are detected at a late stage, when patients have a median life expectancy of about a year. Diagnosing people at risk of developing GC at the pre-symptomatic stage, typically chronic gastric inflammation, could significantly improve the outlook. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help clinicians make sense of their own data by automating much of the treatment and analysis, which require manual work and years of experience. But it can do more: it can bring together available data from various sources into a vast data lake and cross-correlate the data to derive a ‘risk score’ for gastric cancer and shed light on the mechanisms of its evolution. Aida aims to do just that. It helps researchers understand the mechanisms that trigger gastric oncogenesis, helps clinicians diagnose precancerous inflammation at the earliest possible stage, suggests personalised therapeutic strategies for treatment and follow-up, and makes personalised recommendations for monitoring patient health status, thus contributing to gastric cancer prevention. This places Aida squarely on Europe’s agenda of ‘Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society’. Aida unites some of Europe’s leading authorities in the field of gastric inflammation, gastric cancer, leading AI and machine learning experts, experts on data governance and privacy, representatives of the public administration and patient advocates. Aida also has strong ties with the industry. After the project, the results will live on in a foundation that acts as a transnational focal point for chronic gastric inflammation — and GC in general. We hope that the solid, inclusive design principles of Aida, its societal relevance and its durability will spawn a vigorous ecosystem around chronic gastric inflammation, its understanding and its treatment. And we hope that it will inspire other data collaboratives in health — for other chronic inflammations, other forms of cancer or other ailments altogether. PROTO Advanced Personalized Therapies for Osteoarthritis WEBSITE Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic progressive joint disorder, characterized by inflammation causing pain, stiffness, swelling and gradual loss of joint function. PROTO aims to halt and partially reverse the structural and functional changes caused by inflammatory processes in OA Our ambitious goal is to introduce: a highly innovative anti-inflammatory local placental derived cell therapy in early-stage OA patients and a personalized sensor-based training intervention intended to prevent inflammation and OA onset during a crucially important ‘window of opportunity’ by correcting pathological movement patterns in pre-stage OA patients. ENDOTARGET Sytemic Endotoxemia as the driver of chronic inflammation–Biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets for Arthritis WEBSITE ENDOTARGET explores the relationship between gut microbiota, gut permeability, and systemic endotoxemia with a special focus on the three most abundant rheumatic diseases (RDs): osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and spondylarthritis. The aim is to clarify (1) the role of the three factors gut microbiota, gut permeability and systemic endotoxemia in RD onset and pathogenesis, (2) which events and mechanisms are responsible for the origin of RDs, and (3) the influence of the gut microbiota on the joints. Based on the gained knowledge, e.g. new biomarkers for risk assessment will be identified and a Rheumatic disease risk prediction tool (RDPT) will be developed to support clinicians in the classification of patients and to treat RDs preventively. This tool will help to reduce the risk of RD onset and/or to reduce disease activity. PRAESIIDIUM Real-time prediction of the prediabetes risk WEBSITE PRAESIIDIUM will develop a tool based on artificial intelligence coupled with multi-scale, multi-organ integrated mathematical equations for the real-time prediction of the prediabetes risk of an individual. The prediction algorithm will draw on a rich set of information for training, derived from prior clinical data, the individual’s family history, and a pilot study testing wearable sensors that will provide glucose, bioimpedance, and heart rate monitoring. The PRAESIIDIUM platform will be made available to healthcare professionals and patients for an easier data entering and results query and it will be linked to common wearable sensors to monitor the physical activity. PREVALUNG EU Biomarkers affecting the transition from cardiovascular disease to lung cancer: towards stratified interception WEBSITE The project PREVALUNG EU will harness retrospective and prospective cohorts of both CVD patients and LCDT eligibles to develop actionable biomarkers and validate the four classifiers detecting high-risk individuals before or pre-symptomatic of LC, exploiting the latest advances of system biology omics (metabolomics, metagenomics, immunomics, proteomics, and aging-associated BM stem cell genomics) that correlate with uncontrolled inflammatory status of CVD patients. In particular, using four types of diagnosis tools harnessing either of the four drivers of overt inflammation (metabolism, gut dysbiosis, stem cell mutational status, innate immunity), we shall stratify the CVD patient population and leverage the PLCOm2012 risk score to better identify LC high-risk individuals. We will propose a personalized interceptive measure, whose efficacy will be monitored using PREVALUNG EU Focus Panels. We will robustly validate clinical applications, workflows, and tools for easy and broad adoption of the interceptive system across European public care centers and private stakeholders.

We welcome your comments or questions about iPROLEPSIS project!​ Feel free to contact us by filling in the form to submit your comments or questions.​ Project coördinator Prof.Leontios Hadjileontiadis Project coördinator Aristoteles Universiteit van Thessaloniki Contactons We verwelkomen graag uw opmerkingen of vragen over iPROLEPSIS! U kunt contact met ons opnemen door het onderstaande formulier in te vullen en uw opmerkingen of vragen achter te laten. Stel uw vraag of schrijf een reactie First name Last name Email Write a message I have read and agree to the Privacy policy SUBMIT Thanks for submitting! Let op: Wij verstrekken geen medisch advies. Voor bespreking van symptomen of aandoeningen, neem contact op met uw arts of andere zorgverlener.

Learning how to live with psoriatic arthritis might feel like a challenge. But understanding your diagnosis can help you take control of your health. iPROLEPSIS networking activities Our shared vision is to establish a robust ecosystem of initiatives , where the combined strength of each project contributes to the overarching goal of advancing healthcare and well-being . By pooling our resources, knowledge, and expertise, we believe in the potential for significant benefits both for the collaborative cluster and the individual projects involved. Introduction Learning how to live with psoriatic arthritis might feel like a challenge, especially at first. But understanding your diagnosis and how to manage this chronic disease can help you take control of your health. Psoriatic arthritis patient booklet is meant to help you understand your disease and medications, and to improve your ability to communicate your symptoms and concerns to your healthcare professionals. Here, you will also find several non-pharmacological strategies that may ease your symptoms and help you to cope with this disease (e.g., physical exercise, sleeping habits, and diet). This booklet has been edited by rheumatologists, healthcare experts, and patients living with psoriatic arthritis. The information in this booklet is for educational purposes only, and it should never replace the information and advice from your treating physician(s). It is meant to inform the discussions that you have with healthcare professionals, as well as others who play a role in your care and well-being. What is psoriatic arthritis? Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis linked with psoriasis, a chronic skin and nail disease. Psoriasis causes red, scaly rashes and thick, pitted fingernails. Psoriatic arthritis is characterized by joint swelling (inflammation), pain and stiffness and can affect any peripheral joint such as fingers, toes, knees and/or spine. It also affects the insertion of tendons or ligaments in bones (enthesitis). Between 20-40% of people with the skin condition psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis. Symptoms affecting their joints tend to develop 5 to 10 years after psoriasis is diagnosed but it can occur at any time. Currently, it is not clear why some people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis while others do not. The arthritis of psoriatic arthritis comes in three forms: oligoarticular arthritis that affects four or less peripheral joints (e.g., joints in the fingers, toes, knees); polyarticular arthritis that involves five or more peripheral joints on both sides of the body; and axial arthritis that affects the joints of the spine including the sacroiliac joint (where the spine connects to the pelvis). Some people may develop psoriasis after or at the same time as symptoms of psoriatic arthritis present themselves (4). In rare cases, people may have psoriatic arthritis and never have any noticeable symptoms of psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis are chronic inflammatory conditions that are caused by a fault in the immune system. Our immune system protects us from infection and illness. Learn about psoriatic arthritis Networking projects funded under the call HORIZON-HLTH-2022-STAYHLTH-02-01 The Psoriatic Arthritis Patient Handbook is now available for download. The booklet includes essential information to support your understanding of psoriatic arthritis and offers practical tips to enhance your daily life.

Learning how to live with psoriatic arthritis might feel like a challenge. But understanding your diagnosis can help you take control of your health. Learning hub Explore resources to help you understand and manage psoriatic arthritis. Handbook Learning hub Key Facts Handbook News Feed Quizzes Search Handbook 1 Psoriatic Arthritis Handbook Understanding Psoriatic Arthritis h1.1 What is psoriatic arthritis? Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis linked with psoriasis, a chronic skin and nail disease. Psoriasis causes red, scaly rashes and thick, pitted fingernails. Psoriatic arthritis is characterized by joint swelling (inflammation), pain and stiffness and can affect any peripheral joint such as fingers, toes, knees and/or spine. It also affects the insertion of tendons or ligaments in bones (enthesitis). Between 20-40% of people with the skin condition psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis (1, 2). Symptoms affecting their joints tend to develop 5 to 10 years after psoriasis is diagnosed but it can occur at any time (3). Currently, it is not clear why some people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis while others do not. The arthritis of psoriatic arthritis comes in 3 forms: oligoarticular arthritis that affects 4 or less peripheral joints (e.g., joints in the fingers, toes, knees); polyarticular arthritis that involves 5 or more peripheral joints on both sides of the body; and axial arthritis that affects the joints of the spine including the sacroiliac joint (where the spine connects to the pelvis). Some people may develop psoriasis after or at the same time as symptoms of psoriatic arthritis present themselves (4). In rare cases, people may have psoriatic arthritis and never have any noticeable symptoms of psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis are chronic inflammatory conditions that are caused by a fault in the immune system. Our immune system protects us from infection and illness. See related Key Facts section What causes psoriatic arthritis? While psoriatic arthritis can occur at any age, most people present their first signs and symptoms at 30-50 years. Psoriatic arthritis is most likely to be diagnosed within the first ten years of the psoriasis diagnosis (3). Psoriatic arthritis affects both sexes equally. However, the manifestations in terms of severity and impact of the disease differ between sexes. Men are more likely to have involvement of the bones in the spine (axial arthritis) and radiographic damage in the spine and peripheral joints (e.g., fingers, knees and toes), whereas women are more likely to experience impaired quality of life and severe limitations in function (5). Researchers are not sure why some people develop psoriatic arthritis. It is thought that certain genes inherited from parents and grandparents can make a person more likely to develop psoriatic arthritis (6–8). h1.2 In people with a higher genetic predisposition to develop psoriatic arthritis, the condition can be triggered by environmental factors, such as: an infection (9); an accident or injury (10, 11); being overweight (12); smoking (13, 14). Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are not contagious. You cannot catch psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis from other people. See related Key Facts section What are the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis? Psoriatic arthritis symptoms usually develop slowly, that is, many people are unaware that they are developing psoriatic arthritis (Figure 1). Although symptoms can develop suddenly in rarer cases. Some of the main symptoms include (15): pain in one or more joints; swelling in one or more joints; stiffness in one or more joints that lasts for 30 minutes or longer. These symptoms are caused by inflammation and can affect any joint in the body. See Figure 2 for the most commonly affected joints. See related Key Facts section h1.3 Psoriatic arthritis can cause pain and swelling in the entheses, that is, places in the body where tendons and ligaments connect to the bones (15). When the entheses become inflamed it is known as enthesitis. Enthesitis pain can spread along a wider area than joint pain. It frequently occurs at the back of the heel or on the bottom of the foot, which can make standing or walking difficult. Affected areas feel tender to touch even when just a small amount of pressure is applied. The knees, hips, elbows and chest can also be affected by enthesitis. Many people with psoriatic arthritis have swollen fingers or toes, a condition that is known as dactylitis (15) (Figure 1). It most commonly affects one or two fingers or toes at a time. Psoriatic arthritis can also cause small round dents in fingernails and/or toenails, a condition known as pitting. The nails can change colour, become thicker, or even lift away from your finger (15). People living with psoriatic arthritis may feel very tired (fatigued) and some may have a low-grade fever. Fatigue does not get better with rest. Psoriatic arthritis symptoms may come and go. A period of increased inflammation and worsening of other symptoms is called a flare. A flare can last for days or months See related Key Facts section h1.5 How is psoriatic arthritis diagnosed? A timely and accurate diagnosis is an important step for optimising care and improve long-term health outcomes (16). If you have been diagnosed with psoriasis in the past, and symptoms of arthritis (e.g., painful or swollen joints) have started more recently, you may have developed psoriatic arthritis. However, the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis can look like other health conditions. Make sure to see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis. The doctor you see first may depend on whether you have previously been diagnosed with psoriasis. If you develop symptoms of arthritis your primary care or skin doctor should refer you to a rheumatologist – a doctor who specialises in joint conditions – for an assessment. Tell your doctor if you have a history of psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis in your family. CURRENTLY, NO SINGLE TEST CAN CONFIRM PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS (15). A diagnosis will be made based on your medical history, symptoms, and a physical examination by your doctor. Your doctor may order X-rays or other types of imaging, such as ultrasound scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to look for changes to your bones and joints. Imaging studies will help your doctor determine the type and pattern of joint involvement, which can also help them distinguish between arthritis types. Blood tests, such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, can help to identify inflammation. Your doctor may also order tests for rheumatoid factor and the anti-CCP antibody to rule out rheumatoid arthritis and HLA-B types to look for your genetic predisposition to spondylarthritis. See related Key Facts section h1.4 See related Key Facts Previous page Next page

Over onze consortium partners Francisco Cardoso PLUX Position Software Developer What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? Monitoring Engineer What are your main activities in the project? I define SLIs/SLOs, design telemetry (metrics, logs, traces), build alerts and dashboards, run incident response/postmortems, and align data retention and security with compliance. What is your motivation? I’m motivated by making complex systems trustworthy. Turning real-time signals into fast decisions that reduce downtime and protect participants and data. Hugo Humberto Plácido da Silva PLUX Position Founder & Chief Innovation Officer What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? Principal Investigator representing PLUX. What are your main activities in the project? Internal management of the project at the board/administration level. Our team is making substantial contributions to the development of digital biomarkers (dBMs) that can be acquired using a smart belt. Furthermore, we are responsible for the iPROLEPSIS system orchestration, verification, and monitoring. What is your motivation? Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) is a highly conditioning disease that currently affects a significant number of patients globally. Existing assessment and management methods are mostly bound to a clinical setting, involving complex protocols, therefore only of limited access to patients. For as long as I can remember, my work has been centered around purpose-driven innovations in the healthcare space; the possibility to explore novel dBMs as a way of improving the lives of PsA patients constitutes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and purpose like none other. Sofia Balula Dias Faculdade de Motricidade Humana Position Principal Investigator representing FMH partner What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? As Principal Investigator, I lead the design and development of a serious games-based intervention tool specifically tailored to support individuals living with Psoriatic Arthritis. What are your main activities in the project? Our multidisciplinary team is leading the development of the iPROLEPSIS serious games application to support Psoriatic Arthritis patients. Through co-creation with patients and collaboration across research, clinical, and design fields, we’re tailoring game mechanics and biofeedback features to meet real needs and preferences. Our work involves prototyping, testing, and refining therapeutic content designed to improve mobility, support pain management, reduce stress, and promote self-management, ultimately contributing to a more holistic and patient-centered approach to chronic care. What is your motivation? I am driven by the opportunity to improve the lives of PsA patients through non-pharmacological, technology-driven interventions. Serious games present an innovative and empowering method for symptom management and patient engagement. To date, there are no serious games specifically tailored to the needs of individuals with PsA, making this work both timely and impactful. Rodrigo Duarte Braga PLUX Position Research Collaborator What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? Systems Engineer What are your main activities in the project? I coordinate system orchestration, verification, and monitoring. I also lead the Smartbelt's technical development, from data acquisition and processing device data to building machine learning models. What is your motivation? Tackling complex challenges and developing innovative solutions and medical devices that create tangible value. Sérgio Lopes da Fonseca PLUX Position Project Manager What is your role in iPROLEPSIS? PLUX’s contribution to iPROLEPSIS management. What are your main activities in the project? Aligning timelines, deliverables, and resources across partners. I manage work-package commitments, budget and risks, and represent PLUX in steering and technical meetings to keep decisions action-oriented and on schedule. What is your motivation? To turn research into deployable, user-centred solutions. I’m driven by projects that measurably improve clinical workflows and patient outcomes—while creating a clear path from prototype to scalable product. iPROLEPSIS is a chance to do all three: integrate wearable biosignals seamlessly, prove value in real settings, and accelerate European med-tech competitiveness. Coordination Clinical Experts Data Science Software Development Ethics, Legal and Exploitation Dissemination and Communication

Learning hub Explore resources to help you understand and manage psoriatic arthritis. Learning hub Key Facts Handbook News Feed Quizzes Search RSS News Feed Psoriatic Arthritis articles within Nature Reviews Rheumatology Journal of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis National Psoriasis Foundation