Efficacy and Safety of Interferon Alpha 2A and Pegylated Interferon Alpha 2A in Inflammatory Macular Edema

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The aim of this study was to further explore the efficacy and safety of interferon-α in refractory non-infectious inflammatory macular edema and to compare interferon-α2a and pegylated interferon-α2b.

Methods: 34 patients with refractory non-infectious uveitic macular edemaunder interferon-α were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Mean baseline best-corrected visual acuityimproved from 0.55 logMar to 0.37 logMAR (P < 0.001) at month (M) 1 and 0.40 logMAR (P < 0.001) at M6. The mean baseline CMT decreased from 554 µm to 367 µm (P < 0.001) at M1 and 394 µm (P < 0.001) at M6. Clinical adverse effects (AEs) were observed in a third of patients, leading to treatment discontinuation because of frequent mild AEs and few severe AE. No statistically significant difference was found between both molecules.

Conclusions: Anatomically and functionally, interferon-α was rapidly effective despite a low dosage regimen and no difference in efficacy and tolerance was observed between interferon-α2a and pegylated interferon-α2b.

Keywords:

• Efficacy and safety
• interferon
• refractory macular edema
• uveitis

Acknowledgments

Translator: Sophie Pégorier

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.