Secukinumab rapidly reduces hidden joint inflammation in psoriasis patients

Before joints become painful, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) often begins silently as enthesitis - inflammation where tendons and ligaments attach to bone. This hidden condition is invisible to routine exams but detectable by ultrasound.

Now, a study from The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology shows that the IL-17A inhibitor secukinumab can rapidly reduce this subclinical enthesitis. In 76 moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis patients without joint symptoms but with ultrasound-confirmed enthesitis, six weeks of secukinumab (300 mg) significantly improved all skin scores (PASI, DLQI, BSA, IGA; all P < 0.001). Ultrasound also revealed marked thinning at multiple enthesial sites, most notably at the right Achilles tendon (P = 2.71×10^-9).

These ultra-early changes suggest that blocking IL-17A quickly resolves inflammatory edema before irreversible structural damage occurs. The findings support using musculoskeletal ultrasound to screen at-risk psoriasis patients and support early intervention to potentially delay clinical PsA.

The work titled "Secukinumab Reduces Subclinical Enthesitis in Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis: A Single-Center, Retrospective Ultrasound Study" was published in Skin on May 22, 2026.