title: Inflammatory eye disease: Pre-treatment assessment of patients prior to commencing immunosuppressive and biologic therapy: Recommendations from an expert committee.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To outline recommendations from an expert committee on the assessment and investigation of patients with severe inflammatory eye disease commencing immunosuppressive and/or biologic therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The approach to assessment is based on the clinical experience of an expert committee and a review of the literature with regard to corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drug and biologic therapy and other adjunct therapy in the management of patients with severe sight-threatening inflammatory eye disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recommend a careful assessment and consultative approach by ophthalmologists or physicians experienced in the use of immunosuppressive agents for all patients commencing immunosuppressive and/or biologic therapy for sight threatening inflammatory eye disease with the aim of preventing infection, cardiovascular, metabolic and bone disease and reducing iatrogenic side effects.
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales, Faculty of Medicine, Kensington, Australia. Electronic address: d.wakefield@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wakefield
authors.affiliation: Save Sight Institute, Sydney Eye Hospital, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McCluskey
authors.affiliation: Section of Immunobiology, Department of Ophthalmology, Clinic of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerhild
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wildner
authors.affiliation: Section of Immunobiology, Department of Ophthalmology, Clinic of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thurau
authors.affiliation: Manly Hospital, North Shore Private Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.affiliation: Ocular Inflammation and Immunology Service, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore; Singapore Eye Research Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Singapore; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore National Eye Centre, Ocular Inflammation and Immunology Department, Singapore.
authors.forename: Soon-Phaik
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Chee
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Forrester
authors.affiliation: UCL-Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK; School of Clinical Science, University of Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dick
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Sydney 2065, Australia.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.affiliation: UCL/Institute of Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London EC1V 2PD, UK.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lightman
authors.affiliation: Eye & Vision Health, Flinders University School of Medicine, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tugal-Tutkun
mesh_terms: D001691:Biological Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014605:Uveitis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents
keywords: Biologicals; Evaluation; Immunosuppression; Therapy; Uveitis