Effectiveness of Infliximab and Interferon Alpha-2a for the Treatment of Behcet's Uveitis: Customizing Therapy according to the Clinical Features

Purpose To report long term results of biologic treatment of severe and refractory Behcet's uveitis (BU) choosing a different biologic agent according to the uveitis clinical features. Methods Retrospective cohort of patients with BU refractory to conventional therapy, who received Interferon (IFN) alpha-2a or Infliximab (IFX) for at least 3 months. Results Twenty-two patients were included (mean age 29 +/- 10 years, 63% males); Fifteen received IFN and 7 IFX, for a mean treatment period of 30 +/- 24(SD) months. Twenty (90%) patients discontinued treatment, in most cases for complete remission (77%). Seven patients (32%) showed relapses during treatment and five (23%) after discontinuation. Visual acuity improved significantly in IFN group and all eyes showed a significant decrease in central macular thickness at 12 months. Conclusions Both IFX and IFN Alpha-2a were effective and well tolerated in the treatment of refractory BU using a customized approach based on the uveitis features.