Treatment of psoriasis with ustekinumab improved skin tightening in systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by fibrosis, inflammation and vasculopathy in the skin and internal organs. Recently, several articles described that Th17 cells, IL-23 and IL-17 levels were significantly elevated in the peripheral blood or fibrotic sites of SSc. We report a case of SSc and psoriasis administered ustekinumab, IL-12/IL-23 inhibitor. In this case, the skin tightening was successfully improved and ustekinumab was more effective, even though oral prednisolone (9-12 mg/day) had some effect on skin tightening and arthralgia. We consider that inhibition of Th17 cytokines may lead to therapeutic efficacy against SSc. Ustekinumab has the potential for a treatment option of SSc.