This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on ISI (41)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Uveitis  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

C. Stephen Foster, MD; Fehma Tufail, MD; Nadia Khalida Waheed, MD; David Chu, MD; Elisabetta Miserocchi, MD; Stefanos Baltatzis, MD; Cindy M. Vredeveld, BA

Arch Ophthalmol. 2003;121:437-440.

Objective  To evaluate the efficacy of etanercept vs placebo in preventing relapses of uveitis in patients taking methotrexate with control of uveitis and whose methotrexate dosage was being tapered.

Methods  Patients with chronic or recurrent noninfectious uveitis with inflammation controlled by low-dose methotrexate were randomized to either the drug or placebo group in a double-masked manner, given a methotrexate taper schedule, and followed for 24 weeks. The main outcome measures were control of inflammation, visual acuity, and adverse reactions. Data were analyzed both as an attempt-to-treat analysis and an analysis only of those patients who completed the study.

Results  A total of 20 patients were randomized to the drug and placebo groups. Relapse of uveitis occurred in 3 of 10 patients in the treatment group and 5 of 10 patients in the control group. Two patients in the treatment group withdrew prematurely from the study due to adverse effects. There was no significant difference between the treatment and placebo groups with regard to the rate of relapse and the final visual acuity. No patient suffered from any irreversible, long-term morbidity or mortality.

Conclusion  Etanercept has no significant efficacy over placebo in preventing relapses of uveitis in patients being tapered from methotrexate.

From the Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston. The authors have no relevant financial interest in this article.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Adalimumab effectively reduces the rate of anterior uveitis flares in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis: results of a prospective open-label study
Rudwaleit et al.
Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68:696-701.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Updated consensus statement on biological agents for the treatment of rheumatic diseases, 2008
Furst et al.
Ann Rheum Dis 2008;67:iii2-iii25.
FULL TEXT  

Adalimumab in juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated chronic anterior uveitis
Tynjala et al.
Rheumatology (Oxford) 2008;47:339-344.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Updated consensus statement on biological agents for the treatment of rheumatic diseases, 2007
Furst et al.
Ann Rheum Dis 2007;66:iii2-iii22.
FULL TEXT  

Anti-TNF therapy in the management of Behcet's disease--review and basis for recommendations
Sfikakis et al.
Rheumatology (Oxford) 2007;46:736-741.
FULL TEXT  

Adalimumab in the therapy of uveitis in childhood
Biester et al.
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2007;91:319-324.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Tumour necrosis factor {alpha} inhibitors in the treatment of childhood uveitis
Saurenmann et al.
Rheumatology (Oxford) 2006;45:982-989.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Etanercept for Refractory Ocular Sarcoidosis: Results of a Double-Blind Randomized Trial
Baughman et al.
Chest 2005;128:1062-1047.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Etanercept and uveitis in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Schmeling and Horneff
Rheumatology (Oxford) 2005;44:1008-1011.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Prospective Trial of Infliximab Therapy for Refractory Uveitis: Preliminary Safety and Efficacy Outcomes
Suhler et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2005;123:903-912.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Neutralizing Tumor Necrosis Factor Activity Leads to Remission in Patients With Refractory Noninfectious Posterior Uveitis
Murphy et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2004;122:845-851.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT