Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the efficacy of infliximab (IFX), anti-TNF-α antibody, on the retinal neovascularization in Behcet’s disease.
Methods: :
Subjects were uveitis patients associated with Behcet’s disease treated at Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital between 1998 and 2009. Medical records of patients who developed neovascularization in the retina were reviewed retrospectively. The patients performed vitreoretinal surgery or followed less than 6 months after treatments were excluded. Efficacy of treatments, i.e. IFX or other immunosuppressive therapy, was evaluated by fluorescein angiography and visual acuity.
Results: :
One hundred thirty patients were included in this study. Retinal neovascularization developed in 7 patients (9 eyes). Four patients were treated with cyclosporine A (CsA) with or without other drugs such as prednisolone (PSL) and colchicine (Col) (CsA group), while 3 patients were treated with IFX with or without PSL and Col (IFX group). Only one patient in CsA group responded to the treatments and showed regression of neovascularization, whereas all 3 patients in IFX group showed regression. The average of visual acuity at final visit in CsA group was 0.10 while that of IFX group was 0.92, suggesting better prognosis of IFX therapy.
Conclusions: :
Infliximab appears to be more effective in treating retinal neovascularization in patients with Behcet’s disease than CsA.
Keywords: autoimmune disease • neovascularization • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications