[Current view on the pathogenesis of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases associated with ocular manifestations]

This literature review discusses the new concept of pathogenesis of systemic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), presents their classification and analyzes their association with ocular manifestations.

[New possibilities in therapy of ocular inflammation in rheumatic diseases]

This review is devoted to the potential application of genetically engineered biological drugs of different classes in the treatment of main forms of uveitis and other types of non-infectious ocular inflammation in immunoinflammatory rheumatic diseases. The article presents the results of studies demonstrating the influence of interleukin-17 inhibitor secukinumab on the course of uveitis in spondylarthritis, shows the possibilities of treating uveitis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis with inhibitors of interleukin-6, co-stimulation of T-lymphocytes. Inhibition of interleukin-1 is considered an effective method of influencing the ocular inflammation in monogenic autoinflammatory syndromes and Behcet's disease. Rituximab is considered as an option for immunosuppressive therapy of non-infectious uveitis and scleritis.

[Genetically engineered biological agents in the treatment of uveitis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (clinical observations)]

The article describes clinical cases with effective use of some genetically engineered biological agents for arresting and preventing uveitis attacks, and discusses the potential usage of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors and interleukin-17 inhibitors in the treatment of uveitis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

[Behçet's disease and uveitis]

This literature review is dedicated to the Behçet's disease - a multi-symptom, severe autoimmune condition, relatively rare among the population of the former Soviet republics, and to one of its three most frequent manifestations - uveitis.

[Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of anterior uveitis associated with spondyloarthritis]

Anterior uveitis (AU) is one of the common extraskeletal manifestations of spondyloarthritis (SpA). The course of AU in patients with SpA is characterized by frequent relapses. The article considers the question of local and systemic use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the treatment and prevention of SpA-associated uveitis exacerbations.

[Results of surgical treatment of complicated uveal cataract]

PURPOSE

A retrospective analysis of the results of surgical treatment of complicated uveal cataracts of different origin.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study analyzed the results of surgical treatment of uveal cataract in 30 patients (34 eyes) who were divided into three groups by uveitis etiology. The first group included 11 patients with spondyloarthritis associated with the HLA-B27 antigen; the second group included 10 patients with juvenile chronic arthritis and spondyloarthritis, negative for HLA-B27 antigen; the third group consisted of 9 patients with other systemic autoimmune diseases and uveitis of unknown etiology, also negative for the HLA-B27 antigen. The average age of the patients was 35.8±2.6; 30.8±3.8 and 34.0±2.3 years, respectively. Four patients (6 eyes) with juvenile chronic arthritis and severe ribbon-like corneal degeneration underwent standard intracapsular cataract cryoextraction with subsequent spectacle correction of aphakia. In other cases, ultrasound phacoemulsification with implantation of an intraocular lens (IOL) was used as a surgical aid.

RESULTS

Regardless of the surgery technique and the cause of uveal cataract, a statistically significant decrease in the number of exacerbations per year (p<0.0001) and an increase in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were noted after its removal. In the long-term follow-up (2-24 months), 9 patients experienced persistent decompensation of the IOP level, which required various types of antiglaucoma surgery.

CONCLUSION

Surgical treatment of uveal cataracts of various etiologies with adequate pre- and postoperative therapy provides an improvement in visual acuity and a reduction in the frequency of inflammation recurrence. Considering the high likelihood of IOP decompensation in the long-term postoperative period, IOP control should be given attention in such cases.

[Features of the course of anterior uveitis associated with HLA-B27 antigen]

PURPOSE

To perform comparative analysis of the frequency of various complications of anterior uveitis associated with HLA-B27 antigen in patients with and without spondyloarthritis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective analysis included 189 patients with anterior uveitis (AU) associated with histocompatibility antigen (HLA-B27). The Follow-up period lasted 10 years.

RESULTS

189 patients with AU associated with antigen HLA-B27 were divided into two groups. The first group included 108 patients with various diseases of the spondyloarthritis (SpA) group; the second study group consisted of 81 patient with no signs of SpA. Number of patients with complications was 1.5 times higher in the first group. Complicated cataract, glaucoma, synechiae, myodesopsia occurred significantly more frequently in patients of the first group compared to AU patients of the second group, where idiopathic AU was more prevalent. Cystoid macular edema, corneal degeneration, optic nerve atrophy were observed more often in patients with SpA, but differences between the groups were statistically insignificant. Combination of complications also occurred significantly more often in SpA patients. Comparison of the frequency of AU attacks showed that the amount of uveitis attacks per 100 patient-years was higher in patients with SpA. Mean number of AU attacks per year was also higher in the first study group, but differences between the groups were statistically insignificant.

CONCLUSION

Retrospective analysis of 189 patients with AU associated with HLA-B27 antigen revealed significantly higher frequency of complications, together with more frequent acute episodes in patients with SpA in comparison with patients without it confirming the notion that a systemic inflammatory disease can influence the severity of the course of AU.

[Application of TNF-alpha inhibitors in treatment of uveitis associated with ankylosing spondylitis]

Uveitis is one of the most frequent extraskeletal manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Despite iridocyclitis being the most prevalent form of uveitis in patients with AS, and the rareness of the involvement of posterior eye segments in the inflammatory process, the frequent exacerbation of the disease, a significant number of patients develop complications that lead to decrease of visual acuity. The review features theoretical prerequisites for application of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors: infliximab, adalimumab and etanercept. Literature data speaks for high efficacy of TNF-alpha inhibitors in prevention and arrest of uveitis onset in patients with AS.

[Uveitis-associated HLA class 1 histocompatibility antigens]

AIM

to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of HLA class 1 histocompatibility antigens in the development of anterior uveitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 137 patients with anterior uveitis followed up at the Research Institute of Eye Diseases in 2009-2016 were tested for HLA antigens (A and B loci). The average patient's age was 29±12.4 years. All patients underwent a thorough medical interview with clinical and laboratory assessment. In case of suspected association with systemic disease, the patients were referred for consultation at the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology. HLA typing was performed using a standard microlymphocytotoxicity test with specific anti-HLA sera (production of Gisans CC, Saint Petersburg). Statistical processing was performed with Statistica 6.0 software by applying methods of descriptive and nonparametric statistics (Mann-Whitney test).

RESULTS

The results of HLA class 1 typing indicated a significant positive association between uveitis and the HLA-B27 antigen (p<0.00001). Moreover, there was a trend toward decreased frequencies of В7, B12, and B21 antigens (p=0.1), however, the changes were not statistically significant as compared to the control group. Other HLA class 1 antigens also did not differ significantly in frequency between uveitis patients and the controls.

CONCLUSION

The study has confirmed an association between certain histocompatibility antigens and systemic diseases. However, a statistically reliable relationship has been established only for the HLA-B27 antigen.

[Uveitis in spondyloarthritis patients and its association with HLA-B27 histocompatibility antigen: prospective study]

AIM

to perform a prospective study of clinical presentation and course of uveitis in spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients as well as its association with the HLA-B27 histocompatibility antigen.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 219 patients with uveitis, all tested for HLA-B27 antigen and various infections (viral, bacterial, and parasitic) as well as examined for locomotive system involvement.

RESULTS

The presence of the HLA-B27 antigen was determined in 142 (64.8%) out of 219 patients, of them 87 were diagnosed with an entity of the SpA group. The remaining 77 (35.2%) patients appeared to be HLA-B27-negative, but 13 were still diagnosed with an entity of the SpA group. There were 10 (4.6%) patients with 2 or more diseases from the SpA group («clinical decussation»). When comparing the two groups of HLA-B27-positive and negative patients having both SpA and uveitis, no statistically significant difference was found as to the age of onset, site, frequency of attacks, and uni- or bilateral involvement (p>0.05). We also performed a comparison of HLA-B27-positive and negative patients with no account to their SpA status and revealed a higher complication rate in those that were «negative» (p<0.0001), which can be explained by the fact that HLA-B27-negative patients often have autoimmune or infectious uveitis of different origin notable for long attacks and short remissions.

CONCLUSION

Assessing the site and course of uveitis as well as HLA-B27 testing of uveitis patients has proved important for etiological diagnosis. Diseases of the SpA group have been shown to be 6.7 times more common in HLA-B27-positive patients as compared to HLA-B27-negative ones. Clinical presentation of uveitis in the presence of SpA in both HLA-B27-positive and negative patients resembles that of idiopathic uveitis - an independent HLA-B27-associated syndrome (р>0.05). Cases of «decussation» between entities of the SpA group are usually more severe in terms of clinical presentation and course of uveitis and are associated with a worse prognosis. Complications of uveitis are more likely to be found in non-SpA HLA-B27-negative patients (р<0.0001).