title: INTRAVITREAL INFLIXIMAB IN REFRACTORY UVEITIS IN BEHCET'S DISEASE: A Safety and Efficacy Clinical Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the safety and efficacy of intravitreal infliximab (1 mg/0.05 mL) in patients with refractory posterior uveitis in Behcet's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients were included in this study. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), vitreous haze (graded 0-4), vasculitis, retinitis, and papillopathy (presence or absence) were assessed at baseline, Day 1 and Week 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 18. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) central foveal thickness, fluorescein angiography, and flash electroretinogram were done at baseline and 4, 12, and 18 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean baseline logMAR BCVA was 0.94 (20/160), had improved significantly by Week 2 to 0.6 (20/80) (P < 0.0001), and reached 0.36 (20/40) by Weeks 18 with three injections (P < 0.0001). Mean central foveal thickness OCT decreased significantly from baseline 361 μm to 180 μm at the end of follow-up (P < 0.0001). Profound decrease in mean vitreous haze gradings from two to 0.2 by the end follow-up (P < 0.05). There was a significant reduction in the number of patients with vasculitis (15 at baseline to 1 weeks at 18 weeks), retinitis (nine at baseline to none at 4 weeks), and papillitis (two at baseline to none at 4 weeks) (P < 0.05). No significant electrophysiological changes or ocular adverse inflammatory reactions were observed during the study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravitreal infliximab appeared to be safe and effective in treating uveitis in Behcet's disease and should be considered as an alternative to systemic therapies.
authors.affiliation: Departments of *Ophthalmology, and†Internal Medicine, Kasr El Aini Hospital, Cairo University, El-Manial, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mostafa M E
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hamza
authors.forename: Tamer A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Macky
authors.forename: Mohamed Karim
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sidky
authors.forename: Gaafar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ragab
authors.forename: Mahmoud M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Soliman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014605:Uveitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab