Clinical course of patients with Behçet's uveitis following discontinuation of infliximab therapy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical course of Behçet's uveitis patients following discontinuation of infliximab therapy.

METHODS

This retrospective chart review study examined Behçet's disease patients who received infliximab treatment between 2000 and 2012. Medical records of patients whose infliximab treatment was discontinued were reviewed, with special focus on the frequency of uveitis attacks in the period before initiation, during treatment and after cessation of the infliximab therapy. Mean visual acuities were evaluated for each treatment period.

RESULTS

Out of the 43 patients treated with infliximab at our uveitis clinic, ten were discontinued due to adverse events or inefficiency. Data for seven patients followed for more than 12 months before initiation and after cessation of infliximab were analyzed. Frequency of acute uveitis attacks was 7.43 per 12 months before initiation of infliximab, 2.86 during treatment and 0.57 after cessation. A statistically higher frequency of uveitis attacks was observed before initiation of infliximab compared to during (p < 0.05) and after cessation of treatment (p < 0.05). There was no statistical significance observed between the period during treatment and after cessation (p = 0.29). The mean logMAR was 0.79 at baseline, 0.68 during treatment, and 0.88 at 12 months after cessation. These differences were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

A satisfactory clinical course with well-controlled ocular inflammation was found after discontinuation of infliximab therapy in Behçet's uveitis patients. These results suggest that a safe, pre-planned discontinuation of infliximab therapy can be performed in patients with Behçet's uveitis.