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Background: The Psoriasis Longitudinal Assessment and Registry (PSOLAR) is a global, prospective, longitudinal, disease-based registry. It serves as a post-marketing safety commitment with a focus on patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy., Objectives: To describe the baseline disease demographics and clinical characteristics of a Canadian subgroup of participants enrolled in PSOLAR., Methods: Baseline demographic/disease characteristics, medical histories, and previous psoriasis treatments for Canadian patients in PSOLAR were summarized using descriptive statistics., Results: There were 1896 patients analyzed in the Canadian subgroup at 37 clinical sites, accounting for 15.7% of the global PSOLAR population. Baseline disease and clinical characteristics were as expected for a moderate to severe psoriasis population and were generally similar to the global PSOLAR population. Two distinctions were noted in the Canadian subgroup versus those enrolled globally: a higher proportion of patients were overweight/obese (84.7% vs. 80.4%) and male (61.4% vs. 54.7%). In addition, the Canadian subgroup had numerically higher historical peak disease activity (PGA score 3.35 vs. 3.1) and longer disease duration (22.3 years vs. 17.5 years). Canadian PSOLAR patients reported a variety of comorbidities, including psoriatic arthritis (31.5%), hypertension (34.6%), hyperlipidemia (24.3%), mental illness (24.1%), and inflammatory bowel disease (1.6%)., Conclusion: The Canadian subgroup of PSOLAR patients was generally similar to those enrolled globally with respect to baseline disease demographics and clinical characteristics. Multiple comorbidities are noted in the Canadian subgroup, underscoring the need for a holistic approach to the treatment of psoriatic patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: MJG: Consultant, speaker and/or advisory boards for AbbVie, Akros Pharma, Amgen, Arcutis, Aslan, Aristea, AnaptysBio, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Celgene, Dermira, Dermavant, Eli Lilly and Company, Galderma SA, GSK, Incyte, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin, Leo Pharma, MedImmune, Merck, Moonlake, Meiji, Nimbus, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Reistone, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, and UCB; RB: Advisory Board Member, Consultant, Speaker and/or Investigator for and received honoraria and/or grants from, AbbVie, Alumis, Amgen, AnaptysBio, Bausch Health, Boston, BMS/Celgene, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Nimbus, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, UCB, VentyxBio and Xencor. R Bissonnette is also an employee and shareholder of Innovaderm Research; SK: Consultant, speaker or advisory boards for AbbVie, Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly and Company, Galderma SA, GSK, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB, and Valeant Pharmaceutical; KAP: Receive honoraria and/ or clinical research grants as a consultant, speaker, scientific officer, steering committee member, and/or advisory board member for 3M, AbbVie, Akesis, Akros, Alza, Amgen, Astellas, Baxter, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Centocor, Cipher, Eli Lilly, Forward Pharma, Funxional Therapeutics, Galderma, Glaxo Smith Kline, Isotechnika, Janssen, Janssen Biotech, Kirin, Kyowa, Lypanosys, Merck-Serono, Merck Sharpe Dome, Mitsubishi Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Takeda, UCB, Vertex, and/ or Wyeth; LCG: Consultant, speaker, and received grants for clinical research from AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and Valeant; speaker and consultant for Aralez; consultant and received grants for clinical research from Bristol-Meyers Squibb, and received grants for clinical research from Boehringer Ingelheim and UCB. WPG: grants/research support from AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer; honoraria for ad boards/invited talks/consultation from AbbVie, Actelion, Amgen, Arylide, Bausch Health, Boehringer, Celgene, Cipher, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Merck, Novartis, PeerVoice, Pfizer, Sanofi-Genzyme, Tribute, UCB, Valeant; and clinical trials (study fees) from AbbVie, Asana Biosciences, Astellas, Boerhinger-Ingleheim, Celgene, Corrona/National Psoriasis Foundation, Devonian, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Galderma, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, UCB.>.; VH: Consultant, speaker or advisory boards for Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, and Novartis; NHS: Consultant for AbbVie, Bausch Medicine, Celgene, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Lilly, Novartis, Sanofi Genzyme; RV: Consultant, speaker and/or advisory boards for AbbVie, Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Celgene, Dermira, Eli Lilly and Company, Galderma SA, GSK, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB, and Valeant Pharmaceutical; RG: clinical trials for AbbVie, Bausch Health, and Janssen and has received honoraria as consultant and/or speaker from AbbVie, Bausch Health, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Kyowa Kirin, Mallinckrodt, Novartis, Sun Pharma and Sanofi; VHP: Consultant, speaker and/or advisory boards for AbbVie, Actelion, Amgen, AnaptysBio, Aralez, Arcutis, Aspen, Bausch Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Cipher, Eli Lilly, Galderma, GlaxoSmithKline, Homeocan, Incyte, Janssen, LEO Pharma, L’Oreal, Medexus, Novartis, Pediapharm, Pfizer, Sanofi Genzyme, Sun Pharma, Tribute, UCB Pharma, and Valeant; investigator for AbbVie, Amgen, Arcutis, Arena, Asana, Bausch Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Concert, Dermavant, Dermira, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Incyte, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Nimbus Lakshmi, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Reistone, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB Pharma, and Valeant; received educational grants from AbbVie, Bausch Health, Celgene, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Novartis, Sanofi Genzyme, and Valeant; IT: Consultant, speaker or investigator for Abbvie, Amgen, Arcutis, Aristea, Bausch Health, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Incyte, Janssen, Kiniksa, LeoPharma, Mallinckrodt, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, SunPharma, UCB; WL, KP, SDS, NA and OL: Employee of either Janssen Research & Development or Janssen Inc. Canada; RA: Consultant, speaker or advisory boards for Abbvie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly and Company, Galderma, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Sandoz, Sanofi, Sun pharma, and UCB.

The 77th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Rheumatology Association was held both in person at the Quebec City Convention Centre in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, and virtually on February 8-11, 2023. The program consisted of presentations covering original research, symposia, awards, and lectures. Highlights of the meeting include the following 2023 Award Winners: Distinguished Rheumatologist, Gilles Boire; Distinguished Investigator, Murray Baron; Distinguished Teacher-Educator, Janet Pope; Emerging Investigator, Lihi Eder; Emerging Teacher-Educator, Steven Thomson; Ian Watson Award for the Best Abstract on SLE Research by a Trainee, Laura Whittall-Garcia; Phil Rosen Award for the Best Abstract on Clinical or Epidemiology Research by a Trainee, Timothy Kwok; Best Abstract on Research by a Rheumatology Resident, Mats Junek; Best Abstract on Basic Science Research by a Trainee, Marie-Hélène Normand; Best Abstract by a Post-Graduate Research Trainee, Leah Flatman; Best Abstract on Quality Care Initiatives in Rheumatology, Amanda Steiman; Best Abstract by a Medical Student, Shakeel Subdar; Best Abstract by an Undergraduate Student, Jeremiah Tan; Best Abstract by a Rheumatology Post-Graduate Research Trainee, Nicole Andersen; Best Abstract on Research by Young Faculty, Alexandra Legge; Best Abstract on Spondyloarthritis Research, Patricia Remalante-Rayco; Practice Reflection Award, Gold, Carrie Ye and Janet Roberts; Practice Reflection Award, Silver, Lillian Lim. Lectures and other events included: Keynote Lecture by Fiona Rawle: Communicating Science to Patients: Complexities & Caveats; Keynote Address by Murray Baron, Distinguished Investigator Awardee: New Outcome Measures for Systemic Sclerosis; State of the Art Lecture by John Isaacs: Precision Medicine in RA - The Precision Gap; Dunlop-Dottridge Lecture by Rae Yeung: What's in a Name? That Which We Call JIA, By Any Other Name, Would It Still Be the Same Childhood Arthritis?; and the Great Debate: Be it Resolved that Canadians With New Inflammatory Arthritis Should Have Access to All Therapeutic Options at Disease Onset to Induce Remission. Arguing for: Cory Baillie and Anne MacLeod, and against: Michelle Batthish and Louis Bessette. Topics including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, Sjögren syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritis, vasculitis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and their respective diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes are reflected in the abstracts, which we are pleased to publish in this issue of The Journal of Rheumatology ., (Copyright © 2023 by The Journal of Rheumatology.)

Objectives: This study aimed to expand knowledge about soluble low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (sLRP1) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) by determining associations of sLRP1 levels in nonsystemic JIA patients with clinical and inflammatory biomarker indicators of disease activity., Methods: Plasma sLRP1 and 44 inflammation-related biomarkers were measured at enrollment and 6 months later in a cohort of 96 newly diagnosed Canadian patients with nonsystemic JIA. Relationships between sLRP1 levels and indicators of disease activity and biomarker levels were analyzed at both visits., Results: At enrollment, sLRP1 levels correlated negatively with age and active joint counts. Children showed significantly higher levels of sLRP1 than adolescents (mean ranks: 55.4 and 41.9, respectively; P = 0.02). Participants with 4 or fewer active joints, compared to those with 5 or more active joints, had significantly higher sLRP1 levels (mean ranks: 56.2 and 40.7, respectively; P = 0.006). At enrollment, considering the entire cohort, sLRP1 correlated negatively with the number of active joints (r = -0.235, P = 0.017). In the entire cohort, sLRP1 levels at enrollment and 6 months later correlated with 13 and 6 pro- and antiinflammatory biomarkers, respectively. In JIA categories, sLRP1 correlations with inflammatory markers were significant in rheumatoid factor-negative polyarticular JIA, oligoarticular JIA, enthesitis-related arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis at enrollment. Higher sLRP1 levels at enrollment increased the likelihood of absence of active joints 6 months later., Conclusion: Plasma sLRP1 levels correlate with clinical and biomarker indicators of short-term improvement in JIA disease activity, supporting sLRP1 as an upstream biomarker of potential utility for assessing JIA disease activity and outcome prediction., (Copyright © 2021 by the Journal of Rheumatology.)

Rheumatological disorders are complex conditions characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations and courses in different patients with the same condition. The best way to understand the course and prognosis of these patients is through longitudinal observational cohort studies. Such studies have been facilitated by computer technology that allows tracking of large numbers of patients and visits and analysis of a large amount of data. There are requirements for such datasets to be informative: internal and external consistency; clearly defined methods of observation and measurement; complete followup; consideration of potential confounders. We describe the usefulness of an observational cohort analysis using the University of Toronto Psoriatic Arthritis Clinic Database as a model. Analysis issues are highlighted and proposed mechanisms offered for keeping patients involved to ensure complete followup is maintained.