title: Results of interferon alpha-2a therapy in patients with Behcet's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Corticosteroids, the main treatment option in acute attacks of ocular Behcet's disease (BD), are ineffective in preventing recurrent inflammation. Even combined therapy with systemic corticosteroids and azathioprine, cyclosporine, chlorambucil, or cyclophosphamide may be ineffective in controlling the disease in severe cases. We report our clinical experience with the efficacy and tolerability of interferon alpha-2a (IFN-α-2a) monotherapy in patients with Behcet uveitis refractory to conventional immunosuppressive agents.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 12 Turkish Behcet patients who had been treated with IFN-α-2a between February 2009 and October 2011 because of severe uveitis refractory to traditional immunosuppressants. IFN-α-2a was initially administered at 4.5×10(6) IU/day subcutaneously; then, the dosage was tapered gradually depending on the clinical response. Previous immunosuppressive drugs such as systemic corticosteroids, azathioprine, and cyclosporine were stopped 1 day before the initiation of IFN-α-2a treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean duration of IFN-α-2a use was 13.3 months (range: 3-28 months). Eighty-three percent of patients with ocular BD achieved partial or complete response. Best-corrected visual acuity improved or remained stable in all of patients. All patients experienced flu like symptoms responding to oral acetaminophen, hair loss was also developed in 7 of them (58%), and psoriatic skin rash was seen in 3 patients (25%) during treatment with IFN-α-2a. No other side effects were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IFN-α-2a treatment is effective in Behcet uveitis refractory to traditional treatment regimens and provides significant improvement in visual prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Mamak Cad. Dikimevi, Ankara, Turkey. yalcinda@medicine.ankara.edu.tr
authors.forename: F Nilüfer
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Yalçindağ
authors.forename: Aslihan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uzun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000098:blood supply; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins