Abstract
AIM: To describe the effect of additional treatment with anti-TNF-alpha therapy in a case series of 13 patients with serious sight threatening uveitis.
METHODS: 13 patients with serious sight threatening uveitis were included, of whom six had Behçet's disease, five had idiopathic posterior uveitis, one had sarcoidosis, and one birdshot retinochoroiditis. Onset and course of ocular inflammation, inflammatory signs, and visual acuity were assessed. Patients were treated with 200 mg (approximately 3 mg/kg) infliximab infusion. Repeat infusions were given based on clinical response.
RESULTS: Infliximab treatment resulted in an effective suppression of ocular inflammation in all patients. In patients with non-Behcet's disease uveitis visual acuity in six out of eight improved or was stable. In patients with Behcet's disease visual acuity in five out of six improved or was stable.
CONCLUSION: Anti-TNF-alpha treatment may be of value in the treatment of uveitis, and in patients with Behçet's disease, leading to suppression of ocular inflammation, vasculitis, and improvement of vision in the majority. Based on these results a controlled masked study is warranted.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 533-6 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | British Journal of Ophthalmology |
| Volume | 89 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2005 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use
- Behcet Syndrome/drug therapy
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Humans
- Infliximab
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Treatment Outcome
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/antagonists & inhibitors
- Uveitis/drug therapy
- Uveitis, Posterior/drug therapy
- Visual Acuity/drug effects