Long-term efficacy and safety of low-dose and dose-escalating interferon alfa-2a therapy in refractory Beh  et XXXX .

@entity1 @entity5863 @entity1596 @entity228 @entity288
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of low-dose and dose-escalating therapy of interferon alfa-2a in the treatment of Beh  et @entity1596 . METHODS: This study included 37 @entity1 with refractory Beh  et @entity5863 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 days. Maintenance dose was achieved with 3.0 MIU 3 times per week given subcutaneously. The dosage was increased sequentially to 4.5, 6.0, and 9.0 MIU 3 times per week if @entity1596 relapses occurred. Total therapy duration was 24 months. Primary outcome measure was control of @entity1596 with quiescence during maintenance therapy. Ocular relapses per @entity1 -year before and after initiation of interferon alfa-2a therapy and a corticosteroid-sparing effect were secondary outcomes. We also estimated the rate of remission after discontinuing interferon alfa-2a therapy. RESULTS: During maintenance therapy, interferon alfa-2a controlled @entity1596 in 35 @entity1 (95%). In 15 @entity1 (41%), a maintenance dosage of 3.0 MIU 3 times per week controlled @entity1596 without any relapse. The rate of @entity1596 relapses decreased from 3.52 per @entity1 -year before to 0.75 per @entity1 -year after initiating interferon alfa-2a therapy. Seventeen @entity1 were receiving systemic @entity288 at the time of initiation of interferon therapy. During the maintenance stage, 9 @entity1 were able to discontinue and 8 to taper systemic @entity228 therapy. Survival analysis estimated that the rate of remission after discontinuation of interferon alfa-2a therapy was 76% by 3 months. The rate of remission remained stable thereafter. CONCLUSION: A treatment protocol using a low-dose and dose-escalating therapy with interferon alfa-2a was able to control and achieve remission of @entity1596 in most @entity1 with refractory ocular Beh  et disease.
