Assessment of serum biomarkers in patients with plaque psoriasis on secukinumab.

The molecular basis of interleukin (IL)-17A in driving psoriasis pathogenesis is not fully elucidated yet. To investigate the underlying mechanisms and biomarkers associated with IL-17A and the role in psoriasis pathogenesis, over 30 serum proteins were evaluated in a study assessing the effectiveness and safety of secukinumab, where treatment was directly switched from cyclosporin A to secukinumab. Serum β-defensin 2 (BD-2) levels rapidly and robustly reduced following secukinumab treatment. BD-2 levels were well-correlated with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score; changes in BD-2 levels preceded change in PASI score. Serum BD-2, an easily measurable protein, can possibly be used as a suitable surrogate biomarker to monitor responses to IL-17A-targeted therapies for psoriasis in clinical practice.