Experience of using the interleukin-17A inhibitor secukinumab in the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-inflammatory skin disease, which in 25–30% of cases occurs in combination with damage of the musculoskeletal system ― psoriatic arthritis. Nowadays, the leading role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is assigned to the activation of the IL-23/IL-17 axis-key cytokines involved in the activation pathway of the effector activity of Th17 lymphocytes. The activity of proinflammatory cytokines secreted by Th17 cells in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is also confirmed by the high efficiency of targeted therapy aimed specifically at this pathway. One of the modern genetically engineered biological drugs blocking IL-17 which is used worldwide in the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is secukinumab, a recombinant, fully human monoclonal antibody of high affinity directed against IL-17A. The article presents data from own 52-week follow-up of secukinumab use in 40 patients with severe and moderate-severe psoriasis which was combined with psoriatic arthritis in 67.5% of cases and demonstrates high efficacy, survival and satisfactory tolerability of this therapy.