Colchicine in Behcet Syndrome: A Longterm Survey of Patients in a Controlled Trial

Objective. To test the hypothesis that colchicine use during early disease decreases immunosuppressive use in Behcet syndrome (BS) in the long term. Methods. Patients with BS who participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of colchicine 16.6 +/- 1.1 years ago were evaluated for immunosuppressive use during the posttrial period. Results. We could contact 90/116 patients; 28 (31%) received immunosuppressives during the posttrial period, 14 being from the colchicine arm. Posttrial colchicine use and cumulative duration were similar between patients who received immunosuppressives and those who did not. Conclusion. Continuous use of colchicine, even when initiated at an early disease stage, does not seem to decrease the use of immunosuppressives in the long term.