Mycophenolate Mofetil Therapy in Refractory Inflammatory Eye Disease.

PURPOSE: To study the efficacy and incidence of treatment-related side effects of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) therapy in patients with noninfectious inflammatory eye diseases. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of 27 Chilean patients treated for noninfectious inflammatory eye diseases using MMF therapy over a 10-year period. Main outcome measures were: ability to control ocular inflammation and to taper prednisone to ≤10 mg daily (treatment success); incidence of treatment-related side effects. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with sustained control of inflammation was 81.48% at 6 months. Additionally 55.56% and 22.22% of patients succeeded in tapering their prednisone to 5-10 mg/day and <5 mg/day, at 6 months. Two patients developed a neoplasia during MMF therapy; however, this cohort is too small to interpret the significance of this relation to MMF treatment. CONCLUSIONS: MMF seems to be an effective corticosteroid-sparing agent with an acceptable safety profile.

Comparison of the clinical efficacy of two different immunosuppressive regimens in patients with chronic vogt-koyanagi-harada disease.

PURPOSE: To prospectively compare 2 immunosupressive regimens in patients with active Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease in spite of systemic glucocorticoid treatment. METHODS: Forty-four patients were diagnosed between 1998 and 2005. Twenty-one developed chronic intraocular inflammation in spite of glucocorticoid treatment and were randomized to receive either prednisone and azathioprine (AZA) (n = 12) or prednisone and cyclosporine (CyA) (n = 9). RESULTS: In the AZA group Tyndall score decreased from 1.21 +/- 1.10 to 0.29 +/- 0.62 (p < .01), and visual acuity (LogMAR) improved from 0.32 +/- 0.35 to 0.09 +/- 0.16 (p < .001). In the CyA group Tyndall score decreased from 1.67 +/- 1.08 to 0.16 +/- 0.51 (p < .001), and visual acuity improved from 0.41 +/- 0.40 to 0.25 +/- 0.42 (p < .001). Patients in the AZA group needed a significantly higher average prednisone dose and total cumulative dose than those in the CyA group, p < .01 for each comparison. CONCLUSIONS: Both regimens showed a good clinical efficacy, but CyA seems to be a better glucocorticoid-sparing agent than AZA.

[Retrospective review of 44 Chilean patients with Behçet disease]. / Enfermedad de Behçet en Chile: Análisis clínico de 44 casos.

BACKGROUND: Behçet's disease (BD) is a rare multisystemic inflammatory disease that is potentially disabling and may cause death. AIM: To describe the characteristics of BD patients from two Chilean centers. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Retrospective review of the clinical records of patients with BD attended in two rheumatology services between 1985 and 2007. The "Behçet's Disease Research Committee of Japan" (BDCJ) and the "International Study Group for Behçet's Disease" (ISG) diagnostic criteria were applied. RESULTS: We found 44 cases (25 males), diagnosed as BD. The mean age at the onset of symptoms was 26+/- 12 years. According to BDCJ criteria, 13 patients had complete BD, 24 had incomplete BD and 7 had a suspected BD. Thirty two patients fulfilled the ISG criteria. Forty two patients (95%) had oral ulcers, 33 (75%) had genital ulcers and 29 (66%) had ophthalmological involvement. Eleven and three patients had symptoms of central and peripheral nervous system involvement, respectively. No gender differences were detected. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical characteristics of these patients were similar to those described abroad, except for a higher frequency of peripheral nervous system involvement and a lower rate of arthritis.

Enfermedad de Behçet en Chile: Análisis clínico de 44 casos / Retrospective review of 44: Chilean patients with Behçet disease

Background: Behget's disease (BD) is a rare multisystemic inflammatory disease that is potentially disabling and may cause death. Aim: To describe the characteristics of BD patients from two Chilean centers. Patients and method: Retrospective review of the clinical records of patients with BD attended in two rheumatology services between 1985 and 2007. The "Behget's Disease Research Committee of Japan" (BDCJ) and the "International Study Group for Behget's Disease" (ISG) diagnostic criteria were applied. Results: We found 44 cases (25 males), diagnosed as BD. The mean age at the onset of symptoms was 26± 12 years. According to BDCJ criteria, 13 patients had complete BD, 24 had incomplete BD and 7 had a suspected BD. Thirty two patients fulfilled the ISG criteria. Forty two patients (95 percent) had oral ulcers, 33 (75 percent) had genital ulcers and 29 (66 percent) had ophthalmological involvement. Eleven and three patients had symptoms of central and peripheral nervous system involvement, respectively. No gender differences were detected. Conclusions: The clinical characteristics of these patients were similar to those described abroad, except for a higher frequency of peripheral nervous system involvement and a lower rate of arthritis.

[Role of Azathioprine in steroid resistant non infectious ocular inflammatory diseases]. / Eficacia de la azatioprina en la enfermedad ocular inflamatoria no infecciosa resistente a tratamiento esteroidal sistémico.

BACKGROUND: Topical and systemic steroids are the first line of treatment of non infectious inflammatory ocular disease. Immunosuppresants are reserved as a second line treatment. AIM: To evaluate the role of Azathioprine (AZA) as a coadyuvant immunosuppressive treatment for non infectious ocular inflammatory diseases (OIDs) resistant to systemic steroid therapy in a retrospective, noncomparative interventional case series. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients using oral Prednisone due to an active or recurrent OID, without clinical response, and not receiving any other immunosuppressive treatment were studied. A standard protocol of oral Prednisone (0.5 mg/kg/ day) and oral AZA (2-3 mg/kg/day) during one year was used. Ocular and systemic monthly evaluations were done including relapse rate, steroid dosage, inflammatory score and visual acuity. RESULTS: Thirty patients (10 male) aged 18-75 years (mean 44 years) were studied. Three had bilateral anterior uveitis, one had pars planitis, four had diffuse uveitis, eight Vogt-Koyanahi-Harada syndrome, three Behget's disease, three necrotizing scleritis and eight had retinochoroidopathy A complete initial response was observed in 26 patients (87%). The time of response was between 1 to 6 months (mean 2.65 months). Seventeen percent of these had a relapse 6 to 12 months after AZA was started. In 61 %, visual acuity improved. The ocular inflammatory score decreased in 86.5%. Eleven patients had mild controlled side effects that did not require discontinuation of AZA. CONCLUSIONS: Combined systemic steroid and oral AZA therapy is safe and effective in controlling steroid resistant non infectious inflammatory ocular diseases.

Eficacia de la azatioprina en la enfermedad ocular inflamatoria no infecciosa resistente a tratamiento esteroidal sistémico / Role ofAzathioprine in steroid resistant non infectious ocular inflammatory diseases

Background: Topical and systemic steroids are the first line of treatment of non infectious inflammatory ocular disease. Immunosuppresants are reserved as a second line treatment. Aim: To evaluate the role ofAzathioprine (AZA) as a coadyuvant immunosuppressive treatment for non infectious ocular inflammatory diseases (OIDs) resistant to systemic steroid therapy in a retrospective, noncomparative interventional case series. Patients and methods: Patients using oral Prednisone due to an active or recurrent OID, without clinical response, and not receiving any other immunosuppressive treatment were studied. A standard protocol of oral Prednisone (0.5 mg/kg/ day) and oral AZA (2-3 mg/kg/day) during one year was used. Ocular and systemic monthly evaluations were done including relapse rate, steroid dosage, inflammatory score and visual acuity. Results: Thirty patients (10 male) aged 18-75 years (mean 44 years) were studied. Three had bilateral anterior uveitis, one had pars planitis, four had diffuse uveitis, eight Vogt-Koyanahi-Harada syndrome, three Behget's disease, three necrotizing scleritis and eight had retinochoroidopathy A complete initial response was observed in 26 patients (87 percent). The time of response was between 1 to 6 months (mean 2.65 months). Seventeen percent of these had a relapse 6 to 12 months after AZA was started. In 61 percent, visual acuity improved. The ocular inflammatory score decreased in 86.5 percent. Eleven patients had mild controlled side effects that did not require discontinuation of AZA. Conclusions: Combined systemic steroid and oral AZA therapy is safe and effective in controlling steroid resistant non infectious inflammatory ocular diseases.