Serum Human Beta-Defensin-2 Is a Possible Biomarker for Monitoring Response to JAK Inhibitor in Psoriasis Patients

Aims: To analyse the correlation between serum human beta-defensin-2 (hBD-2) levels and response to JAK inhibitor in psoriasis. Methods: We evaluated the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) and serum hBD-2 levels of 18 psoriasis patients randomized to receive placebo or tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg b.i.d. at baseline, week 8, and week 16. Serum hBD-2 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The PASI achieved a dramatic reduction after tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg b.i.d. treatment for 16 weeks (p < 0.05). Serum hBD-2 levels significantly decreased in patients treated with tofacitinib 10 mg b.i.d. compared with baseline and the placebo-treated patients (p < 0.05). A significant correlation was found between hBD-2 levels and PASI (r = 0.52, p < 0.01). A serum hBD-2 level of 1,255.45 pg/mL was a cut-off between mild and moderate-to-severe psoriasis in ROC analysis. Conclusions: Serum hBD-2 level might be a possible biomarker for monitoring psoriasis treatment response and differentiating mild from moderate-to-severe psoriasis.