UVEITIS INA RHEUMATOLOGISTS PRACTICE: A ROLE OF TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-а INHIBITORS

• Main Author: Sergey Valentinovich Moiseyev
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: IMA-PRESS LLC 2009-12-01
• Series: Современная ревматология
• Subjects: uveitis; autoimmune diseases; infliximab
• Online Access: https://mrj.ima-press.net/mrj/article/view/262

Uveitis frequently develops in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and other autoimmune diseases. It is occasionally characterized by a severe recurrent course and untreatable with systemic glucocorticoids (GC) and standard immunosuppressive agents. The results of (mainly small) clinical trials, as well as some observations suggest that therapy with tumor necrosis factor-а (TNF-а) inhibitors is effective in such patients. There is the strongest evidence that they are beneficial in treating recurrent uveitis in patients with AS, infliximab having some efficacy advantages over etanercept and adalimumab. Accordingly, chronic uveitis in AS can be considered as an additional argument in favor of the use of TNF-а inhibitors. Furthermore, treatment with drugs of this group is warranted in severe uveitis refractory to GC and immunosuppressants. It is conceivable that in some forms of uveitis, for example, in patients with Behcet's disease, treatment with TNF-а inhibitors should be initiated at an earlier stage as the efficacy of standard immunosuppressants is generally limited