title: Infliximab monotherapy versus infliximab and colchicine combination therapy in patients with Behçet's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare infliximab monotherapy with infliximab and colchicine combination therapy in Behçet's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical records of 14 Behçet's disease patients who were administered infliximab with or without colchicine were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who were given other immunosuppresants after initiation of infliximab therapy were excluded. The frequency of ocular attacks and best-corrected visual acuity were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven patients received monotherapy and 7 received combination therapy. The mean frequency of ocular attacks significantly decreased from 2.14 to 0.22 per 6 months in monotherapy group and from 2.57 to 0.18 per 6 months in combination therapy group. No significant difference was observed between both groups in the frequency of ocular attacks and in changes in best-corrected visual acuity during 0 to 24 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infliximab is as efficacious as infliximab and colchicines together in Behçet's disease treatment. This study suggests that colchicine administration is not necessary in Behçet's disease patients receiving infliximab.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asukata
authors.forename: Tatsukata
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawagoe
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Tadayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishide
authors.forename: Nobuhisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizuki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069285:Infliximab; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000069285:Infliximab; D003078:Colchicine