The use of biologic therapies in uveitis

PURPOSE: Non-infectious uveitis has been long controlled with the use of corticosteroids with many side effects and poor control in some cases. The purpose of this paper was to assess the different biologic agents (in this case infliximab and adalimumab) and to compare their efficacy in the treatment of uveitis. RESULTS: Adalimumab has been proven very successful in replacing or aiding corticosteroid therapy in different autoimmune mediated uveitis (Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis) whereas infliximab has been used intravenously and recently intravitreally with very promising results in controlling Behcet's related uveitis. CONCLUSION: Biologic Response Modifiers represent the future of therapy in immune-mediated uveitis. Abbreviations AU = Anterior Uveitis, BCVA = Best Corrected Visual Acuity, BRM = Biologic Response Modifiers, CME = Cystoid Macular Oedema, CPR = C Protein Reactive, ESR = Erythrocyte Sediment Rate, HSV = Herpes Simplex Virus, ICAM = Intercellular Adhesion Molecules, IMT = Immunomodulatory Therapy, JIA = Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, MMP = Matrix Metalloproteinases, MTX = Methotrexate, RA = Rheumatoid Arthritis, TB = Tuberculosis, VCAM = Vascular Adhesion Molecules.