Interferon alpha-2a treatment for refractory Behcet uveitis in Korean patients

BACKGROUND: To evaluate therapeutic outcomes of interferon alpha-2a (IFNα2a) treatment in patients with Behcet’s disease who were refractory to immunosuppressive agents. METHODS: This retrospective case series reviewed the medical records of 5 patients with refractory Behcet uveitis from January 2011 to February 2017. IFNα2a was administered at a dose of 3 million IU 3 times per week. Clinical response, relapse rate, and change of visual acuity were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 39.60 ± 9.21 years, and the median treatment duration was 6 months. Four of the 5 patients (80%) presented with responses to IFNα2a without any uveitis attack during the treatment period. The mean number of uveitis attacks/year per patient during the treatment was 0.40 ± 0.89. The mean log of the Minimum Angle of Resolution visual acuity improved from 1.44 ± 0.38 at baseline to 1.02 ± 0.58 at the final follow up. CONCLUSIONS: IFNα2a is an effective therapy for Behcet uveitis refractory to conventional immunosuppressants in Korean patients.