PIPPS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Patient Stratification through Molecular Immune Phenotyping in Psoriasis and Psoriatic JIA
IRAS ID
242867
Contact name
Christian M. Hedrich
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Psoriasis is a rare disease affecting the immune system and is characterized by the presence of special cells in the skin. Some patients have disease limited to the skin but others have additional symptoms, including arthritis (psoriatic arthritis, PsA). We have previously found that some cells in the immune system known as double negative (DN) T cells can be formed from CD8+ T cells and get into the skin of (adult) psoriasis patients, where they produce proteins, or cytokines, that influence inflammation. Though more frequently associated with arthritis and a large burden to quality-of-life and mental wellbeing, juvenile psoriasis remains largely unstudied, and no basic laboratory data exists on the abnormal function of cytokines and the main immune cells (DN T cells). In this study, we will look at the commonness and function of effector DN T cells in paediatric patients with psoriasis and juvenile psoriatic arthritis (jPsA). Understanding mechanisms of when T cells don’t work properly will help understanding the disease process of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, in addition to deliver target-directed individualized treatment options in psoriasis. Synovial fluid of patients will also be examined to see if the same immune processes occur in the joint fluid as in the blood.
PIPPS has been developed with the help of the patient and parent involvement group based at Alder Hey, who will continue to provide advice and support throughout the study. Our contact, Sam Ainsworth is based at the institute in the park at Alder Hey and is easily accessible to external NHS organisations involved in studies linked to Alder Hey. 80 patients will be recruited with an equal number of healthy controls (healthy people against whom data from patients will be compared). Controls will only have their blood examined and will not need to provide synovial fluid.REC name
South Central - Oxford A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0320
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jul 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion