Immunosuppressive therapy for severe chronic uveitis.
Twenty-five patients with severe, progressive, chronic uveitis who were poorly responsive or unresponsive to corticosteroid therapy received low-dose prednisone and cytotoxic immunosuppressive therapy. Azathioprine (2.0 to 2.5 mg/kg) or chlorambucil (6 to 8 mg) was combined with prednisone (10 to 15 mg) daily in a long-term therapeutic program. All 25 patients exhibited a therapeutic response. In 18 of 25 patients, complete quiescence of the inflammatory process was observed. The remaining seven patients showed a substantial decrease of uveitis with persistence of some inflammatory changes. Adverse side effects that resulted from this therapy were infrequent.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002699:Chlorambucil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014605:Uveitis / Q000188:drug therapy*
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D002699:Chlorambucil; D001379:Azathioprine; D011241:Prednisone