BACKGROUND: Short-term studies have shown mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) to be a useful immunosuppressive agent for the treatment of intraocular inflammation. The aim of our study was to assess the long-term efficacy and tolerability of MMF in patients with chronic non-infectious uveitis, as well as to analyze disease course following discontinuation of therapy. METHODS: This is a retrospective case series on 60 uveitis patients treated with MMF with a follow-up period of at least 5 years. The main outcome measures were: control of inflammation, corticosteroid-sparing potential, side-effects, ability to stop/taper MMF treatment because of effective control of inflammation and relapse rate after therapy discontinuation. RESULTS: Control of intraocular inflammation (efficacy of MMF), defined as inactive disease under prednisolone dose of ≤ 10 mg daily, was achieved in 43 of 60 patients (72%) after 1 year of MMF treatment at a rate of 0.72 per patient-year (PY), and in 45 of 55 patients (82%) after 2 years therapy (rate: 0.41/PY). An improvement (3 lines) or stabilization of visual acuity was observed in 49 patients (82%), and a worsening in 11 patients (18%, 95% CI: 10-30%). The probability of discontinuing prednisolone, estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, was 40% after 5 years therapy. The probability of discontinuing mycophenolate mofetil due to efficacy was 33% after 5 years treatment. Recurrences of uveitis occurred in six of 21 patients (29%, rate: 0.11/PY) after MMF discontinuation due to efficacy. The treatment was stopped because of inefficacy in 12 patients (rate: 0.05/PY) and because of side-effects in four patients (rate: 0.02/PY). The rate of adverse effects during MMF therapy was 0.17/PY. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that mycophenolate mofetil is generally effective and well tolerated in the treatment of chronic non-infectious uveitis.
BACKGROUND: Short-term studies have shown mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) to be a useful immunosuppressive agent for the treatment of intraocular inflammation. The aim of our study was to assess the long-term efficacy and tolerability of MMF in patients with chronic non-infectious uveitis, as well as to analyze disease course following discontinuation of therapy. METHODS: This is a retrospective case series on 60 uveitispatients treated with MMF with a follow-up period of at least 5 years. The main outcome measures were: control of inflammation, corticosteroid-sparing potential, side-effects, ability to stop/taper MMF treatment because of effective control of inflammation and relapse rate after therapy discontinuation. RESULTS: Control of intraocular inflammation (efficacy of MMF), defined as inactive disease under prednisolone dose of ≤ 10 mg daily, was achieved in 43 of 60 patients (72%) after 1 year of MMF treatment at a rate of 0.72 per patient-year (PY), and in 45 of 55 patients (82%) after 2 years therapy (rate: 0.41/PY). An improvement (3 lines) or stabilization of visual acuity was observed in 49 patients (82%), and a worsening in 11 patients (18%, 95% CI: 10-30%). The probability of discontinuing prednisolone, estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, was 40% after 5 years therapy. The probability of discontinuing mycophenolate mofetil due to efficacy was 33% after 5 years treatment. Recurrences of uveitis occurred in six of 21 patients (29%, rate: 0.11/PY) after MMF discontinuation due to efficacy. The treatment was stopped because of inefficacy in 12 patients (rate: 0.05/PY) and because of side-effects in four patients (rate: 0.02/PY). The rate of adverse effects during MMF therapy was 0.17/PY. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that mycophenolate mofetil is generally effective and well tolerated in the treatment of chronic non-infectious uveitis.
Authors: D A Jabs; J T Rosenbaum; C S Foster; G N Holland; G J Jaffe; J S Louie; R B Nussenblatt; E R Stiehm; H Tessler; R N Van Gelder; S M Whitcup; D Yocum Journal: Am J Ophthalmol Date: 2000-10 Impact factor: 5.258
Authors: Katherine M Niemeyer; John A Gonzales; Sivakumar R Rathinam; Manohar Babu; Radhika Thundikandy; Anuradha Kanakath; Travis C Porco; Erica N Browne; Maya M Rao; Nisha R Acharya Journal: Am J Ophthalmol Date: 2017-04-14 Impact factor: 5.258
Authors: Evangelos Minos; Robert J Barry; Sue Southworth; Annie Folkard; Philip I Murray; Jay S Duker; Pearse A Keane; Alastair K Denniston Journal: Orphanet J Rare Dis Date: 2016-05-12 Impact factor: 4.123
Authors: Elodie Bousquet; Pierre Duraffour; Louis Debillon; Swathi Somisetty; Dominique Monnet; Antoine P Brézin Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2022-08-16 Impact factor: 4.964
Authors: Michael M Altaweel; Sapna S Gangaputra; Jennifer E Thorne; James P Dunn; Susan G Elner; Glenn J Jaffe; Rosa Y Kim; P Kumar Rao; Susan B Reed; John H Kempen Journal: J Ophthalmic Inflamm Infect Date: 2016-09-09