IST effective against inflammation

Immunosupressants are an effective in controlling ocular inflammation caused by severe or steroid-resistant autoimmune disease, according to study results published online ahead of print by Acta Ophthalmologica.

Paolo Mora, MD of the University of Parma, Italy and colleagues conducted a prospective, non-randomized study of patients with ocular inflammation (n=76; eyes, n=121) who, after 9±2 months of non-response to monotherapy, switched to a combined immunosuppressive treatment (IST) protocol in which all treatments (including steroids) were administered discontinuously for 43±15 months.

Complete inflammation control was achieved in 86% of patients; the rate of inflammatory events per patient was 0.78±1.13 in the first year of treatment, and the rare continued to decrease throughout the follow-up period. Mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) increased to 0.24 logMAR after follow-up from 0.31 logMAR at baseline. Despite these visual improvements, patients' blood pressure and uric acid blood levels worsened significantly during the study period.

The researchers concluded that IST offers long-term improvements in the rate of inflammatory events and decreases the need for steroid treatment.