Proteomic Advances Highlight Promising Biomarkers for Psoriatic Arthritis Diagnosis

A new review, published in Clinica Chimica Acta, highlights the potential of proteomics to transform the diagnostic landscape for psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a condition affecting 20% to30% of patients with psoriasis (PsO). Despite its prevalence, PsA remains difficult to diagnose due to its heterogeneous clinical presentation and reliance on physical examination, often delaying treatment and increasing disease burden.

The study evaluated emerging evidence supporting the use of non-targeted chromatographic proteomic techniques to identify diagnostic biomarkers. These methods, which allow for broad-spectrum protein analysis across various biological specimens, are shedding light on protein signatures that may serve as reliable diagnostic tools.

“Currently, diagnosis is predominantly based on clinical findings,” the authors wrote. “There is a clear need for reliable biomarkers to improve diagnostic precision, refine prognostic evaluations, and guide personalized therapeutic strategies.”

Through a synthesis of existing studies, the review identified 72 isolated proteins and 1 protein combination with potential diagnostic value for PsA. Notably, 3 proteins were emphasized for their diagnostic potential: NAD-dependent sirtuin-2 deacetylase, stress-induced phosphoprotein 1, and thymosin β4.

These findings underscore the promise of proteomics to distinguish PsA from psoriasis and other inflammatory arthropathies at a molecular level. “Proteomic methodologies can enable comprehensive analysis of diverse biological specimens,” the authors noted, “facilitating the identification of candidate proteins that could be incorporated into targeted enzymatic and immunological panels for routine clinical practice.”

While the data are promising, the authors cautioned that clinical translation remains premature. They called for additional research involving larger, stratified patient populations to confirm the reproducibility and clinical utility of these biomarkers. “Despite the growing interest in proteomic approaches for PsA, additional investigations… are necessary to validate these findings,” the study stated.

For dermatologists and rheumatologists managing patients with psoriasis, these early results signal a shift toward molecular diagnostics that may one day complement or even supplant clinical criteria. The integration of proteomic biomarkers into practice could enable earlier identification of PsA, risk stratification, and more precise treatment pathways.

As research in this field advances, clinicians should remain informed about developments in biomarker discovery and emerging diagnostic platforms that may redefine PsA evaluation in the coming years.

Reference
Scalcon MRR, Waclawovsky AJ, Schuch FB, Speeckaert MM, Moresco RN. Proteomic biomarkers in psoriatic arthritis. Clin Chim Acta. 2025;572:120244. doi:10.1016/j.cca.2025.120244