• Tomoyuki Asano, Shuhei Yoshida, Naoki Matsuoka, Masato Ishikawa, Akihiko Sato, Shotaro Ogawa, Kenji Saito, Yuya Sumichika, Haruki Matsumoto, Jumpei Temmoku, Yuya Fujita, Shuzo Sato, Yasuchika Takeishi, Toshiyuki Yamamoto, and Kiyoshi Migita.
• Department of Rheumatology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2024 Dec 20; 103 (51): e40994e40994.

RationaleTakayasu arteritis (TAK) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation targeting the aortic wall. Since many patients are resistant to steroid treatment, multiple immunosuppressants or interleukin-6 (IL-6) suppression therapy have served as treatment alternatives. However, there are very few reports on the effectiveness of biologics against inflammatory cytokines upstream of IL-6.Patient ConcernsWe present a case of TAK in a 51-year-old female presenting with a myocardial infarction. She had persistent carotid wall thickening despite glucocorticoid (GC) therapy, and IL-6 suppression therapy was being proactively considered. While the GC was being tapered, widespread pustules appeared all over her body.DiagnosisTAK complicated with generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP).InterventionsAside from GC, the patient was treated with secukinumab (SEC), an anti-IL-17A monoclonal antibody.OutcomesImmediately after treatment with SEC, the pustules disappeared, and the thickening of the common carotid artery wall improved on ultrasound.LessonsSince IL-17 is an important cytokine in the pathogenesis of TAK, anti-cytokine therapy targeting IL-17 may be effective for TAK.Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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