title: Immunomodulatory therapy for ocular inflammatory disease: a basic manual and review of the literature.
abstract: Corticosteroids are used as first-line treatment for many ocular inflammatory conditions. The risk of adverse effects, however, necessitates conversion to steroid-sparing immunomodulatory therapy (IMT) for disease that is recurrent, chronic, or poorly responsive to treatment. Combination drug treatments with multiple agent 'recipes' are also considered. Immunomodulatory agents include the broad categories of antimetabolites (azathioprine, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil), alkylating agents (cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil), T-cell inhibitors (cyclosporine, tacrolimus), and cytokines (interferon alfa). This article reviews and summarizes the evidence for IMT agent use in the treatment of various forms of ocular inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 6-20-2, Shinkawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan. aokada@po.iijnet.or.jp
authors.forename: Annabelle A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014605:Uveitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000477:Alkylating Agents; D000963:Antimetabolites; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents