Paradoxical tralokinumab-induced psoriasis in a patient with atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Purpose: Although psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD) were for decades considered to be opposing diseases, it is now known that these skin conditions can coexist or even overlap in the same individual. Especially when using modern drugs with targeted IL inhibition, the balance between Th1 and Th2 immunity can be disturbed. In line with it, numerous clinical cases of AD have been induced by antipsoriatic biologics (e.g., TNF-alpha, IL-23, or IL-17 inhibitors), and IL-4-/IL-13 inhibition by dupilumab also resulted in paradoxical psoriasis in patients with AD.

Materials and methods: Herein, we describe a case of psoriasis vulgaris in a patient with intrinsic AD after systemic treatment with the anti-IL-13 antibody tralokinumab.

Results: We present a 36-years-old male patient with a severe course of an intrinsic atopic dermatitis and dyshidrotic hand eczema. He responded well to the therapy with tralokinumab. However, about 7 months after the start of anti-IL-13 treatment the patient developed psoriasiform lesions. The drug was then discontinued. Currently, the patient is receiving topical therapy with topical corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors with stable course of psoriasis and AD.

Conclusions: This case suggests, that not only a dual IL-4-/IL-13-blockade, but also a selective IL-13-inhibition is able to skew immune responses toward IL-17 cytokine pathway-related disease. However, no clinical scores exist to predict the development of paradoxical psoriasis in patients with AD during therapy with biologics.

Keywords:

• Tralokinumab
• psoriasis
• atopic dermatitis
• paradoxical psoriasis
• paradoxical reaction
• anti-IL-13-antibody

Disclosure statement

Galina Balakirski has been an advisor, speaker or investigator for Abbvie, Almirall, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Janssen-Cilag, Leo Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, UCB Pharma.

Sven-Niklas Burmann has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Silke C. Hofmann has been an advisor, speaker or investigator for Amgen, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis, Infectopharm, and GSK.

Alexander Kreuter has been an advisor, speaker or investigator for Sanofi, Almirall, Boehringer Ingelheim, Infectopharm, and MSD Sharp & Dohme.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.