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Updated: May 2, 2026

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes
Published on: September 26, 2013
The role of IL-17 in psoriasis
Mona Malakouti1, Gabrielle Elena Brown, Eva Wang
1Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science , North Chicago, IL , USA .
Background:
Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition traditionally believed to involve the Th1 pathway. Recently, the IL-23/Th17/IL-17 pathway has been highlighted in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and other autoimmune inflammatory conditions. From a clinician's perspective, we sought to review the basic science data relevant to IL-17's role in psoriasis pathogenesis.
Methods:
We performed a Pubmed and Web of Knowledge search for English articles starting from 1990 that discussed the Th17 pathway. Search terms such as "IL-17" and "psoriasis" were utilized.
Results:
The IL-17 pathway is regulated by IL-23, a cytokine that is vital for the expansion and maintenance of the Th17 cell population. Th17 derived cytokines (IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-17A/F and IL-22) were elevated in both psoriasis-like murine models and human psoriatic lesional biopsies. Ixekizumab (anti-IL-17A) treatment of psoriasis was found to normalize levels of IL-17 downstream gene products.
Conclusion:
Both preclinical and clinical studies support the central role of IL-17 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
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