The Psoriasis, Atherosclerosis, and Cardiometabolic Disease Initiative (PACI)

June 17, 2026 updated by: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Human Translational Studies of Inflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases: The Psoriasis, Atherosclerosis and Cardiometabolic Disease (PACI) Initiative

Background:

- Cardiometabolic diseases are medical disorders that can occur together and affect the heart. They increase the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. One disorder, psoriasis, is an inflammation that mostly affects the skin but can affect the entire body. Another disorder, atherosclerosis, is a process in which cholesterol is gradually deposited on the wall of arteries. This causes arteries to harden and become less flexible. Many cells that cause psoriasis also cause atherosclerosis. Researchers want to look at the relationship between cardiometabolic diseases and psoriasis.

Objectives:

- To study the relationship between psoriasis and cardiometabolic diseases.

Eligibility:

- Individuals at least 18 years of age who have psoriasis.

Design:

  • Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history.
  • Participants will have up to seven outpatient visits over the 4 years. The first visit will be a screening visit. Visits 2 will be12 months after visit 1. Visits 3, 4, and 5, will be scheduled yearly for the next 3 years. If participants have a psoriasis flare with more severe symptoms, they may have an extra visit. Those who leave the study early will have a final visit with the full series of tests.
  • At visits 1, 2,and 5, and any flare visits, participants will have a physical exam and medical history. They will provide blood and urine samples, as well as optional tissue biopsies. They will also have heart function tests. Imaging studies, as well as optional photographs of affected areas, will be performed. These tests will also be performed at the final visit.
  • At visits 3 and 4, participants will have a physical exam and medical history. They will also provide blood and urine samples, and have heart function tests.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

Over the past two decades, inflammation has been identified as an important pathogenic process in cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) such atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity. However, mechanistic links between inflammation and these disease states in humans remain poorly understood. In this study, we propose to utilize psoriasis, a common, chronic inflammatory T-cell skin disease associated with increased CVD and CMD as a model to understand the effect of chronic inflammation on these diseases states. We will conduct a prospective cohort study to understand the effect of chronic inflammation on vascular and metabolic disease at the NIH Clinical Center. Furthermore, we will initiate a large scale collection of blood and skin from extramural sites to facilitate discovery of pathways involved in inflammatory modulation of CVD and CMD.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
386

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
        • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Any patient with a diagnosis of chronic plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or pustular psoriasis will be considered for this protocol.

Description

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA
  • 18 years of age or older
  • Diagnosed with psoriasis clinically confirmed by provider, consisting of typical skin findings and associated findings of systemic disease of joints, nails and hair)

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

  • For skin and adipose biopsy, any subject with known bleeding disorder, current fever or on anticoagulation.
  • Pregnant women and lactating women, may not undergo any study procedures until they are no longer pregnant or breast feeding.

  • Subjects with a contraindication to MRI scanning will not receive the optional PET/MRI. These contraindications include subjects with the following devices:

    • Central nervous system aneurysm clips
    • Implanted neural stimulator
    • Implanted cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator
    • Cochlear implant
    • Ocular foreign body (e.g. metal shavings)
    • Implanted Insulin pump
    • Metal shrapnel or bullet
  • Subjects with a BMI >45 will also not receive the PET MRI.
  • Subjects with severe renal excretory dysfunction, estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73m^2 body surface area according to the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease criteria, will not receive the cardiac CT angiography, or gadolinium contrast agent during the PET/MRI.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Case-Only
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Group 1
Patient with a diagnosis of chronic plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or pustular psoriasis

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Our primary outcome of interest is vascular inflammation measured by standard uptake values from PET-CT imaging with FDG.
Time Frame: 4-6 years
vascular inflammation measured by standard uptake values from PET-CT imaging with FDG.
4-6 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Mean Aortic Wall Thickness
Time Frame: 4-6 years
4-6 years
Coronary Artery Calcium Score
Time Frame: 4-6 years
4-6 years
HDL function
Time Frame: 4-6 years
4-6 years
lipoprotein particle size and number
Time Frame: 4-6 years
4-6 years
immune, metabolic & inflammation measure
Time Frame: 4-6 years
4-6 years
Myocardial Flow Reserve (MFR)
Time Frame: 4-6 years
4-6 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Michael N Sack, M.D., National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 22, 2013

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 6, 2023

Study Completion

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2030

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 26, 2013

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 26, 2013

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 29, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 18, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 17, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 24, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 130065
  • 13-H-0065

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Inflammation

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings