The Steroid-Sparing Effect of Adalimumab in the Treatment for the Recurrent Phase of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease

Purpose: To reveal the steroid-sparing effect of adalimumab (ADA) in the treatment for the chronic recurrent phase of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease. Cases and methods: Thirty-six eyes from 18 cases of the recurrent phase of VKH disease treated with ADA over 12 months were examined retrospectively. Before the introduction of ADA, 4 cases received prednisolone (PSL) monotherapy and other 14 cases received PSL and cyclosporine A (CYA) combination therapy. Results: In cases treated with PSL and CYA, CYA was discontinued when ADA was introduced. The minimum dose of PSL to control intraocular inflammation (min dose of PSL) could be reduced in all cases after the introduction of ADA (from 16.9 +/- 7.9 mg to 6.3 +/- 3.1 mg). No serious adverse events were observed in the observational periods. Conclusion: By comparing the min dose of PSL before and after the introduction of ADA, the steroid-sparing effect of ADA was confirmed.