Journal
OPHTHALMOLOGICA
Volume 230, Issue 3, Pages 109-115Publisher
KARGER
DOI: 10.1159/000351426
Keywords
Rituximab; Uveitis; Intra-ocular inflammation; CD20; Birdshot chorioretinopathy; Remission
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Funding
- Department of Health [CDF-2011-04-051] Funding Source: Medline
- Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) [AMS-SGCL4-Taylor] Funding Source: researchfish
- National Institute for Health Research [CDF-2011-04-051] Funding Source: researchfish
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Treatment of non-infectious uveitis is based primarily on the use of systemic corticosteroids and second-line immunosuppressive drugs. However, their extensive side effect profile, particularly for steroids, has led to the increased use of other immunosuppressive drugs, as sparing capacity agents. Rituximab is an anti-CD20 chimeric antibody, often given as a single course of 2 infusions, resulting in complete depletion of peripheral mature B cells. While it is licensed to treat refractory systemic lymphoma patients, it has also shown promising results in systemic auto-immune diseases, where a single course of treatment is able to achieve long-term clinical remission. Treatment with rituximab has been reported for various ocular conditions, suggesting it may be effective in inducing long-term disease control and other systemic immunosuppressive agents can be reduced or discontinued. When disease relapse occurs, a further course or courses can be given with good results. This review summarizes the current evidence regarding the role of rituximab in treating non-infectious uveitis. (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel
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