OBJECTIVE To investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of low-dose and dose-escalating therapy of interferon alfa-2a in the treatment of Behçet uveitis. METHODS This study included 37 patients with refractory Behçet panuveitis unresponsive to conventional immunosuppressive therapy. Induction interferon alfa-2a therapy was given as a daily dose of 3.0 million IU (MIU) subcutaneously for 14...

BACKGROUND Relapse of disease is frequent in anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). It is unclear whether persistent ANCA when starting maintenance therapy increases the risk of relapse. We examined the association between ANCA status and relapse in two randomised controlled trials. METHODS ANCA-positive patients in two trials, CYCLOPS and IMPROVE, were switche...

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated vasculitides (AAVs) are a heterogenous group of inflammatory diseases which primarily involve small vessels and include granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic (MPA) eosinophilic (EGPA). They present heterogeneous clinical manifestations, while their diagnosis management still remain challenge for clinicians. Nowadays, the treatment ...

The introduction of cyclophosphamide and high-dose glucocorticoids for anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) has allowed a reduction in 1-year mortality from 80% to 10-20%. AAV is now a chronic disease, and greater emphasis has turned to improving treatment-related toxicity, reducing relapses and providing alternative treatments for refractory disease. Rituximab,...

BACKGROUND Crohn's disease may be refractory to conventional treatments including corticosteroids and immunosuppressives. Recent studies suggest TNF-alpha blocking agents may be effective in maintaining remission in Crohn's disease. OBJECTIVES To conduct a systematic review of the evidence for the effectiveness of TNF-alpha blocking agents in the maintenance of remission in patients with Croh...

This study evaluated the effects of azathioprine in combination with low-dose prednisolone in the management of patients with intractable autoimmune hepatitis. Thirteen patients with intractable autoimmune hepatitis who had an incomplete or arrested response to conventional prednisolone therapy, or who relapsed during prednisolone maintenance therapy were additionally administered 50 or 100 mg/...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES B cell significance in ANCA disease pathogenesis is underscored by the finding that ANCA alone can cause disease in mouse models and by the effectiveness of rituximab as therapy in ANCA-small vessel vasculitis (ANCA-SVV). To avoid infections and adverse events from therapy, clinicians require improved markers of disease activity and impending relapse to guide immunosup...

Intravenous infusion of gammaglobulin (IVGG) has been extensively used in the treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in adults to acutely raise the platelet count but not as a maintenance therapy. This report describes the maintenance treatment of adults with chronic ITP using repeated infusions of 800 to 1,000 mg/kg of IVGG. Sixteen of 40 patients were able to discontinue all thera...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS This study assessed the efficacy of maintenance treatment with multimatrix mesalazine following achievement of complete or partial remission after induction treatment with high-dose multimatrix mesalazine. METHODS In this phase 3b/4, open-label, multicentre, prospective, single-arm study, patients with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis were treated with multimatrix mesal...

A 43-year-old woman, diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) at age of 30, received outpatient treatment with corticosteroids. However, flare-up occurred, and adalimumab (ADA) treatment commenced in July 2009. A complete remission with mucosal healing was achieved by 32 weeks after initiation of ADA therapy. Because of progressive skin eruptions, ADA maintenance was discontinued at 124 weeks. Re...