| Presentation preference | Oral presentation |
| Title | Anti-TNF-α versus tocilizumab in the treatment of refractory uveitic macular edema |
| Purpose | To analyze the factors associated with response (control of ocular inflammation and corticosteroid sparing effect) to biologics (anti-TNF-α agents and tocilizumab) in patients with refractory uveitic macular edema. |
| Methods | Multicenter retrospective observational study. Patients received anti-TNF-α agents [infliximab (n=69) and adalimumab (n=80)] and tocilizumab (n=55). |
| Results | 204 patients (median age of 40 years [28-58] with 42.2% of men) were included. Main etiologies of uveitis included Behçet’s disease (17.2%), birdshot chorioretinopathy (11.3%) and sarcoidosis (7.4%). The overall response rate at 6 months was of 46.2% (21.8% of complete response) with anti-TNF-α agents and 58.5% (35.8% of complete response) with tocilizumab. In multivariate analysis, treatment with tocilizumab (OR 2.10 [95% CI 1.06–4.06], p=0.03) was independently associated with complete response of uveitic macular edema, compared to anti-TNF-α agents. Anti-TNF-α agents and tocilizumab did not differ significantly in terms of relapse rate (HR=1.00 [0.31-3.18], p=0.99) or occurrence of visual acuity ≥ 1 LogMAR (OR=1.02 [0.51-2.07], p=0.95) or corticosteroid-sparing effect (p=0.29). Side effects were reported in 20.6% of patients, including 10.8% of serious adverse events. |
| Conclusion | Tocilizumab seems to improve complete response of uveitic macular edema compared to anti-TNF-α agents. |
| Conflict of interest | No |
Authors 1
| Last name | LECLERCQ |
| Initials of first name(s) | M |
| Department | Internal Medicine-Rouen and Pitié-Salpêtrière |
| City | ROUEN AND PARIS |
| Country | France |
Authors 2
| Last name | ANDRILLON |
| Initials of first name(s) | A |
| Department | Biostatistics-Saint Louis |
| City | PARIS |
| Country | France |
Authors 3
| Last name | BODAGHI |
| Initials of first name(s) | B |
| Department | Ophthalmology-Pitié-Salpêtrière |
| City | PARIS |
| Country | France |
Authors 4
| Last name | SAADOUN |
| Initials of first name(s) | D |
| Department | Internal Medicine-Pitié-Salpêtrière |
| City | PARIS |
| Country | France |
Authors 5
| Last name | On behalf of the BIOVAS study group |
| Initials of first name(s) | B |
| Department | Internal Medicine-Ophthalmology |
| City | PARIS |
| Country | France |
