Lack of effect of ustekinumab in treatment of allergic contact dermatitis

Background. Allergic contact dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory T cell mediated disease that can be recalcitrant to existing treatments. Ustekinumab is a monocloncal antibody blocking IL‐12 and IL‐23, shown to be effective and safe for patients with psoriasis. Despite both IL‐12 and IL‐23 involvement in contact allergy, the effect of Ustekinumab on allergic contact dermatitis has not been reported. Objectives. To evaluate the clinical effect of Ustekinumab in patients with allergic contact dermatitis. Methods. A retrospective, case cohort study of patients with allergic contact dermatitis treated with Ustekinumab in our department. Results. Five patients had been treated with Ustekinumab for allergic contact dermatitis, with limited effect. Conclusion. Our observation suggests that, although theoretically plausible, Ustekinumab does not seem to be a valuable therapeutic approach for chronic allergic contact dermatitis.