Assessment and Clinical Relevance of Serum IL-19 Levels in Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis Using a Sensitive and Specific Novel Immunoassay

Sci Rep. 2019 Mar 26;9(1):5211. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-41609-z.

Abstract

Because development of reliable biomarkers in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis has lagged behind therapeutic progress, we created a blood-based test to fill the void in objective methods available for dermatological assessments. Our novel interleukin-19 (IL-19) immunoassay was initially tested to determine concentrations of IL-19 serum levels, then correlated with the psoriasis activity and severity index (PASI) in psoriasis, and the eczema area and severity index (EASI) in atopic dermatitis. Not only was IL-19 increased in psoriasis and correlated to PASI, but ixekizumab administration led to rapid, sustained IL-19 decreases to normal levels, with decreases at 2-weeks correlating with PASI improvement at 16-weeks. IL-19 increased upon ixekizumab withdraw, prior to relapse, and decreased following re-treatment. In baricitinib- and etanercept-treated psoriasis patients, IL-19 decreases also correlated with improvement. Many patients with limited skin disease, including genital psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patients, also had increased IL-19, which was reduced to normal levels upon ixekizumab treatment, correlating with PASI improvement. We also measured IL-19 in baricitinib-treated atopic dermatitis patients. In atopic dermatitis, IL-19 was significantly elevated, correlated with EASI scores, and decreased with skin improvement. Therefore, measurement of serum IL-19 provides clinicians with an objective disease-activity assessment tool for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis patients.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase II
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / administration & dosage
  • Arthritis, Psoriatic / blood*
  • Arthritis, Psoriatic / drug therapy
  • Arthritis, Psoriatic / pathology
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Dermatitis, Atopic / blood*
  • Dermatitis, Atopic / drug therapy
  • Dermatitis, Atopic / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay
  • Interleukins / blood*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Biomarkers
  • IL19 protein, human
  • Interleukins
  • ixekizumab