Adalimumab in the treatment of non-infectious uveitis
Alicja Burek-Michalska, Anna Turno‐Kręcicka
Abstract
Non-infectious uveitis (NIU) is a serious sight-threatening condition whose pathogenesis is often autoimmune in nature. It may manifest in any age group, though adults aged 20-50 are the group most often affected. It causes 5-10% of visual impairment worldwide. The epidemiology of some specific uveitis diseases varies worldwide, because they are influenced by genetic, environmental and socioeconomic factors. It can occur only in the eye or as a symptom of a systemic condition. The most common cause of NIU is HLA-B-27-associated anterior uveitis (4-32%). The standard treatment for NIU is a local, topical and systemic steroid therapy in combination with immunomodulatory therapy. However, recently, a new drug - adalimumab, which is a tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) inhibitor - was approved by FDA in the treatment of NIU and is increasingly used to treat various conditions. Adalimumab has been proven in many studies to be safe and effective in the treatment of NIU associated with diverse systemic diseases.