Anti-Interleukin-17 Therapy of Severe Psoriatic Patients Results in an Improvement of Serum Lipid and Inflammatory Parameters’ Levels, but Has No Effect on Body Composition Parameters

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is frequently accompanied by metabolic syndrome. Effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapies on increases in body weight is well-known. Data on the effects of interleukin-17 inhibitors are limited. Authors determined the effect of anti-interleukin-17 therapies on the body composition and serum lipid and inflammatory parameters among severe psoriatic patients. METHODS: Thirty-five severe psoriatic patients were enrolled. Twenty-two received secukinumab and 13 received ixekizumab as their 2nd-or 3rd-line biological treatment. Before treatment initiation and 6 months later, laboratory examinations measuring metabolic and inflammatory panels and body composition analyses were performed. RESULTS: After 6 months, a significant reduction was observed in psoriasis area severity index (p < 0.001) from 18 to 0, in c-reactive protein (p < 0.001) from 6.6 to 4.00 mg/L, in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (p = 0.004) from 3.69 to 3.19 mmol/L, and an improvement in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (p = 0.022) from 1.31 to 1.40 mmol/L. Median baseline body mass index was 32.80 kg/m2. The body composition parameters did not show any significant changes. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-interleukin-17 therapy of severe psoriatic patients does not cause significant changes in body composition parameters. Improvements in the lipid and inflammatory parameters might have a beneficial effect on patients’ cardiometabolic status. This effect might be detectable in high-risk obese psoriatic patients.