CRB1-associated retinal degeneration is dependent on bacterial translocation from the gut

The Crumbs homolog 1 (CRB1) gene is associated with retinal degeneration, most commonly Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Here, we demonstrate that murine retinas bearing the Rd8 mutation of Crb1 are characterized by the presence of intralesional bacteria. While normal CRB1 expression was enriched in the apical junctional complexes of retinal pigment epithelium and colonic enterocytes, Crb1 mutations dampened its expression at both sites. Consequent impairment of the outer blood retinal barrier and colonic intestinal epithelial barrier in Rd8 mice led to the translocation of intestinal bacteria from the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract to the retina, resulting in secondary retinal degeneration. Either the depletion of bacteria systemically or the reintroduction of normal Crb1 expression colonically rescued Rd8-mutation-associated retinal degeneration without reversing the retinal barrier breach. Our data elucidate the pathogenesis of Crb1-mutation-associated retinal degenerations and suggest that antimicrobial agents have the potential to treat this devastating blinding disease.

Systemic immunosuppression depletes peripheral blood regulatory B cells in patients with immune thrombocytopenia

Regulatory B (Breg) cells are potentially implicated in the pathogenesis of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). We analysed a prospective cohort of newly diagnosed steroid naïve ITP patients enrolled in the multicentre FLIGHT trial and found that the numbers of Bregs in their peripheral blood were similar to healthy controls. In contrast, Breg numbers were significantly reduced in ITP patients treated with systemic immunosuppression (glucocorticoids or mycophenolate mofetil). We also demonstrate that glucocorticoid treatment impairs Breg interleukin-10 production via an indirect T-cell-mediated mechanism.

Factors Predicting Long-term Outcome and the Need for Surgery in Graves Orbitopathy: Extended Follow-up From the CIRTED Trial

Graves orbitopathy is both disabling and disfiguring. Medical therapies to reduce inflammation are widely used, but there is limited trial data beyond 18 months of follow-up.

METHODS

Three-year follow-up of a subset of the CIRTED trial (N = 68), which randomized patients to receive high-dose oral steroid with azathioprine/placebo and radiotherapy/sham radiotherapy.

RESULTS

Data were available at 3 years from 68 of 126 randomized subjects (54%). No additional benefit was seen at 3 years for patients randomized to azathioprine or radiotherapy with regard to a binary clinical composite outcome measure (BCCOM), modified European Group on Graves' Orbitopathy score, or Ophthalmopathy Index.Clinical Activity Score (CAS), Ophthalmopathy Index, and Total Eye Score improved over 3 years (P < .001). However, quality of life at 3 years remained poor. Of 64 individuals with available surgical outcome data, 24 of 64 (37.5%) required surgical intervention. Disease duration of greater than 6 months before treatment was associated with increased need for surgery [odds ratio (OR) 16.8; 95% CI 2.95, 95.0; P = .001]. Higher baseline levels of CAS, Ophthalmopathy Index, and Total Eye Score but not early improvement in CAS were associated with increased requirement for surgery.

CONCLUSION

In this long-term follow-up from a clinical trial, 3-year outcomes remained suboptimal with ongoing poor quality of life and high numbers requiring surgery. Importantly, reduction in CAS in the first year, a commonly used surrogate outcome measure, was not associated with improved long-term outcomes.

The Effect of Ophthalmic Surgery for Graves' Orbitopathy on Quality of Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Graves' orbitopathy (GO) has a profound negative impact on quality of life. Surgery is undertaken to preserve vision, correct diplopia, and improve aesthetics. We sought to quantify the effect of different surgical approaches on quality of life. Methods: Electronic databases Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE were used from inception until March 22, 2021, to identify studies assessing quality of life pre- and postsurgical intervention for GO. Two reviewers independently extracted data and performed quality assessments. Random-effects and Bayesian models for meta-analyses were utilized. Results: Ten articles comprising 632 patients with a mean age of 48.4 years (range 16-85 years) were included. All used the Graves' Ophthalmopathy Quality of Life (GO-QOL) questionnaire. For GO-QOL appearance, the pooled standardized mean improvement for patients after surgery was +0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI 0.50-0.94]), I² = 69% [CI 52-80%]. For GO-QOL visual functioning, the pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) for patients after surgery was +0.41 [CI 0.25-0.58], I² = 60% [CI 36-74%]. For visual appearance, orbital decompression yielded the greatest improvement (SMD +0.84 [CI 0.54-1.13]) followed by eyelid surgery (SMD +0.38 [CI 0.05-0.70]), while strabismus correction had no significant effect (SMD +0.94 [CI -0.10 to 1.99]). Conversely strabismus correction was associated with the greatest improvement (SMD +1.25 [CI 0.29-2.21]) in visual functioning, outperforming orbital decompression (SMD +0.29 [CI 0.15-0.43]) and eyelid surgery (SMD +0.12 [CI -0.18 to 0.41]). A mean improvement in GO-QOL of greater than 10 points after orbital decompression surgery was achieved in 12/14 (86%) patient groups for appearance and 5/14 (36%) patient groups for visual functioning. A mean improvement of greater than 6 points was achieved in 5 of 6 (83%) patient groups for strabismus surgery for both appearance and visual functioning. A mean improvement of greater than 6 points after eyelid surgery was achieved in 2/3 (67%) patient groups and 0/3 patient groups for visual appearance and functioning, respectively. Conclusion: Ophthalmic surgery results in substantial improvements in quality of life in patients with GO, with greater perceived effects on appearance than visual function. Orbital decompression has particular impact on visual appearance; strabismus surgery may benefit both visual appearance and function equally, whereas eyelid surgery benefits appearance alone.

Ibrutinib-related uveitis: A report of two severe cases

INTRODUCTION

Ibrutinib is a small-molecule drug approved for the treatment of haematological disorders and is known to be associated with visual disturbances, but uveitis has not yet been reported as an adverse effect of this medication. We present two cases of ibrutinib-associated severe uveitis in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

CASE DESCRIPTION

Our first case is a 65-year-old woman who presented with acute onset of bilateral fibrinous anterior uveitis 1 day after starting ibrutinib. Her vision was hand movements in the right eye and 20/120 in the left with hyperaemic discs and subretinal fluid. Ibrutinib was stopped and she experienced a significant improvement under local and oral steroid treatment. The second case is a 64-year-old male with subacute onset of bilateral hypertensive anterior uveitis with pupillary seclusion and right eye hyphaema. He was on ibrutinib for the past 9 months. His vision at presentation was 20/80 and 20/60 for the right and left eye, respectively. He responded poorly to local steroid treatment until ibrutinib was stopped due to cardiac side-effects, after which his uveitis resolved and treatment was stopped.

CONCLUSION

The temporal association between changes in ibrutinib treatment and our patients' ocular inflammation suggests a causative link. Ibrutinib increases Th1-based immune responses which is proposed as a mechanism for drug-induced uveitis. Its antiplatelet effect may explain the fibrinous nature of the inflammation and hyphaema.

Identification of an intraocular microbiota

The current dogma in ophthalmology and vision research presumes the intraocular environment to be sterile. However, recent evidence of intestinal bacterial translocation into the bloodstream and many other internal organs including the eyes, found in healthy and diseased animal models, suggests that the intraocular cavity may also be inhabited by a microbial community. Here, we tested intraocular samples from over 1000 human eyes. Using quantitative PCR, negative staining transmission electron microscopy, direct culture, and high-throughput sequencing technologies, we demonstrated the presence of intraocular bacteria. The possibility that the microbiome from these low-biomass communities could be a contamination from other tissues and reagents was carefully evaluated and excluded. We also provide preliminary evidence that a disease-specific microbial signature characterized the intraocular environment of patients with age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma, suggesting that either spontaneous or pathogenic bacterial translocation may be associated with these common sight-threatening conditions. Furthermore, we revealed the presence of an intraocular microbiome in normal eyes from non-human mammals and demonstrated that this varied across species (rat, rabbit, pig, and macaque) and was established after birth. These findings represent the first-ever evidence of intraocular microbiota in humans.

Ex Vivo T Cell Cytokine Expression Predicts Survival in Patients with Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis

Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is an acute inflammatory liver condition with high early mortality rate. Steroids improve short-term survival but nonresponders have the worst outcomes. There is a clinical need to identify these high-risk individuals at the time of presentation. T cells are implicated in AH and steroid responsiveness. We measured ex vivo T cell cytokine expression as a candidate biomarker of outcomes in patients with AH. Consecutive patients (bilirubin >80 µmol/L and ratio of aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase >1.5 who were heavy alcohol consumers with discriminant function [DF] ≥32), were recruited from University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. T cells were obtained and stimulated ex vivo. Cytokine expression levels were determined by flow cytometry and protein multiplex analysis. Twenty-three patients were recruited (10 male; median age 51 years; baseline DF 67; 30% 90-day mortality). Compared to T cells from nonsurvivors at day 90, T cells from survivors had higher baseline baseline intracellular interleukin (IL)-10:IL-17A ratio (0.43 vs 1.20, p=0.02). Multiplex protein analysis identified interferon γ (IFNγ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as independent predictors of 90-day mortality (p=0.04, p=0.01, respectively). The ratio of IFNγ to TNF-α was predictive of 90-day mortality (1.4 vs 0.2, p=0.03). These data demonstrate the potential utility of T cell cytokine release assays performed on pretreatment blood samples as biomarkers of survival in patients with severe AH. Our key findings were that intracellular IL-10:IL-17A and IFNγ:TNF-α in culture supernatants were predictors of 90-day mortality. This offers the promise of developing T cell-based diagnostic tools for risk stratification.

Glucocorticoid treatment in patients with newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia switches CD14++ CD16+ intermediate monocytes from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory phenotype

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is thought to result from an aberrant adaptive autoimmune response, involving autoantibodies, B and T lymphocytes, directed at platelets and megakaryocytes. Previous reports have demonstrated skewed CD4⁺ T-helper subset distribution and enhanced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 17A and interferon gamma. The role of monocytes (MCs) in ITP is less widely described, but innate immune cells have a role in shaping CD4⁺ T-cell phenotypes. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are commonly used for first-line ITP treatment and modulate a broad range of immune cells including T cells and MCs. Using multiparameter flow cytometry analysis, we demonstrate the expansion of intermediate MCs (CD14⁺⁺ CD16⁺ ) in untreated patients with newly diagnosed ITP, with these cells displaying a pro-inflammatory phenotype, characterised by enhanced expression of CD64 and CD80. After 2 weeks of prednisolone treatment (1 mg/kg daily), the proportion of intermediate MCs reduced, with enhanced expression of the anti-inflammatory markers CD206 and CD163. Healthy control MCs were distinctly different than MCs from patients with ITP before and after GC treatment. Furthermore, the GC-induced phenotype was not observed in patients with chronic ITP receiving thrombopoietin receptor agonists. These data suggest a role of MCs in ITP pathogenesis and clinical response to GC therapy.

IL-10 and IL-17 expression by CD4+ T cells is altered in corticosteroid refractory immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)

BACKGROUND

Corticosteroids remain the first-line treatment for patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). However, 20% to 30% of patients do not respond to treatment at tolerable doses. This variation in corticosteroid efficacy is replicated in other autoimmune diseases and may have an adaptive immune basis.

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis that CD4+ T-cell responses to corticosteroids are different in patients with clinically defined corticosteroid refractory ITP.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, CD4+ T cells from patients with ITP were cultured in the presence or absence of dexamethasone (Dex). Intracellular cytokine expression was then quantified by flow cytometry and compared with patients' clinical response to corticosteroid treatment. A control cohort of patients with autoimmune uveitis was also studied to evaluate whether our findings were limited to ITP or are potentially generalizable across autoimmune diseases.

RESULTS

The ratio of interleukin (IL)-10 to IL-17 expression following CD4+ T cell culture with Dex was able to discriminate between ITP patients with a clinically defined complete (n = 33), partial (n = 12) or nonresponse (n = 11) to corticosteroid treatment (P = .002). These findings were replicated in patients with autoimmune uveitis (complete response n = 14, nonresponse n = 22; P = .01).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a relative abrogation of IL-10 and persistence of IL-17 expression in the CD4+ T cells of patients who clinically fail corticosteroid therapy. This observation has potential to inform both our mechanistic understanding of the action of corticosteroids in the treatment of ITP, and as a biomarker for steroid refractory disease, with potential application across a range of hematological and nonhematological conditions.

Intravenous indocyanine green dye is insufficient for robust immune cell labelling in the human retina

It is not currently possible to reliably visualise and track immune cells in the human central nervous system or eye. Previous work demonstrated that indocyanine green (ICG) dye could label immune cells and be imaged after a delay during disease in the mouse retina. We report a pilot study investigating if ICG can similarly label immune cells within the human retina. Twelve adult participants receiving ICG angiography as part of routine standard of care were recruited. Baseline retinal images were obtained prior to ICG administration then repeated over a period ranging from 2 hours to 9 days. Matched peripheral blood samples were obtained to examine systemic immune cell labelling and activation from ICG by flow cytometry with human macrophage cultures as positive controls. Differences between the delayed near infrared ICG imaging and 488 nm autofluorescence was observed across pathologies, likely arising from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Only one subject demonstrated ICG signal on peripheral blood myeloid cells and only three distinct cell-sized signals appeared over time within the retina of three participants. No significant increase in immune cell activation markers were detected after ICG administration. ICG accumulated in the endosomes of macrophage cultures and was detectable above a minimum concentration, suggesting cell labelling is possible. ICG can label RPE and may be used as an additional biomarker for RPE health across a range of retinal disorders. Standard clinical doses of intravenous ICG do not lead to robust immune cell labelling in human blood or retina and further optimisation in dose and route are required.

Tocilizumab in patients with anti-TNF refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (APTITUDE): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial

BACKGROUND

Uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a cause of major ocular morbidity. A substantial proportion of children are refractory to systemic methotrexate and TNF inhibitors. Our aim was to study the safety and efficacy of tocilizumab in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis refractory to both methotrexate and TNF inhibitors.

METHODS

This multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial was done following a Simon's two-stage design at seven tertiary hospital sites in the UK. Patients aged 2-18 years with active juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis were eligible. All patients had been on a stable dose of methotrexate for at least 12 weeks and had not responded to treatment with a TNF inhibitor. Patients weighing 30 kg or more were treated with 162 mg subcutaneous tocilizumab every 2 weeks for 24 weeks, and participants weighing less than 30 kg were treated with 162 mg every 3 weeks for 24 weeks. The primary outcome was treatment response defined as a two-step decrease, or decrease to zero, from baseline in the level of inflammation (anterior chamber cells) at week 12, per the standardisation of uveitis nomenclature criteria. A phase 3 trial would be justified if more than seven patients responded to treatment. An interim analysis was planned to assess whether the trial would be stopped for futility, with futility defined as two or fewer treatment responses among ten participants. Adverse events were collected up to 30 calendar days after treatment cessation. The primary analysis was done in the intention-to-treat population and the safety analysis was done in all patients who started the treatment. This trial is registered with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number registry (ISRCTN95363507) and EU Clinical Trials Register (EudraCT 2015-001323-23).

FINDINGS

22 participants were enrolled to the trial between Dec 3, 2015, and March 9, 2018, and 21 participants received treatment. One participant was found to be ineligible immediately after enrolment and was therefore withdrawn. Seven of 21 (median unbiased estimate of proportion 34% [95% CI 25-57]) responded to treatment (p=0·11). Safety results were consistent with the known safety profile of tocilizumab.

INTERPRETATION

The primary endpoint was not met, and thus the results do not support a phase 3 trial of tocilizumab in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis. Importantly, data on the use of tocilizumab in clinical practice is now captured in national registries. Despite this trial not meeting the threshold required to justify a larger phase 3 trial, several patients responded to treatment; as such, tocilzumab might still be a therapeutic option in some children with uveitis refractory to anti-TNF drugs, given the absence of other treatment options.

FUNDING

Versus Arthritis and the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network: Children.

New insights into the pathogenesis and nonsurgical management of Graves orbitopathy

Graves orbitopathy, also known as thyroid eye disease or thyroid-associated orbitopathy, is visually disabling, cosmetically disfiguring and has a substantial negative impact on a patient's quality of life. There is increasing awareness of the need for early diagnosis and rapid specialist input from endocrinologists and ophthalmologists. Glucocorticoids are the mainstay of treatment; however, recurrence occurs frequently once these are withdrawn. Furthermore, in >60% of cases, normal orbital anatomy is not restored, and skilled rehabilitative surgery is required. Clinical trials have shown that considerable benefit can be derived from the addition of antiproliferative agents (such as mycophenolate or azathioprine) in preventing deterioration after steroid cessation. In addition, targeted biologic therapies have shown promise, including teprotumumab, which reduces proptosis, rituximab (anti-CD20), which reduces inflammation, and tocilizumab, which potentially benefits both of these parameters. Other strategies such as orbital radiotherapy have had their widespread role in combination therapy called into question. The pathophysiology of Graves orbitopathy has also been revised with identification of new potential therapeutic targets. In this Review we provide an up-to-date overview of the field, outline the optimal management of Graves orbitopathy and summarize the research developments in this area to highlight future research questions and direct future clinical trials.

Intermediate Monocytes in Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis Are Functionally Activated and Induce IL-17 Expression in CD4+ T Cells

In humans, the three main circulating monocyte subsets are defined by their relative cell surface expression of CD14 and CD16. They are all challenging to study because their characteristics are strongly context specific, and this has led to a range of conflicting reports about their function, which is especially so for CD14⁺⁺CD16⁺ (intermediate) monocytes. Ex vivo cultures are also often confounded by the concomitant use of immunosuppressive drugs. We therefore sought to characterize the phenotype and function of intermediate monocytes in the setting of acute inflammation prior to treatment in a cohort of 41 patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis (AH). Circulating intermediate monocytes were enriched in patients with AH and had an activated phenotype with enhanced expression of CCR2 and CD206 compared with healthy controls. Proinflammatory cytokine expression, including IL-1β and IL-23, was also higher than in healthy controls, but both classical (CD14⁺⁺CD16^-) and intermediate monocytes in AH were refractory to TLR stimulation. Compared with healthy controls, both AH monocyte subsets had greater phagocytic capacity, enhanced ability to drive memory T cell proliferation in coculture, and skewed CD4⁺ T cells to express an increased ratio of IL-17/IFN-γ. Furthermore, liver tissue from AH patients demonstrated an enrichment of monocytes including the intermediate subset compared with controls. These data demonstrate that intermediate monocytes are expanded, functionally activated, induce CD4⁺ T cell IL-17 expression, and are enriched in the liver of patients with AH.

Modelling Macular Edema: The Effect of IL-6 and IL-6R Blockade on Human Blood-Retinal Barrier Integrity In Vitro

Purpose

Macular edema (ME) is a leading cause of visual loss in a range of retinal diseases and despite the use of antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents, its successful treatment remains a major clinical challenge. Based on the indirect clinical evidence that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key additional candidate mediator of ME, we interrogated the effect of IL-6 on blood–retinal barrier (BRB) integrity in vitro.

Methods

Human retinal pigment epithelial cell (ARPE-19) and human retinal microvascular endothelial cell (HRMEC) monolayers were used to mimic the outer and inner BRB, respectively. Their paracellular permeability was assessed by measuring the passive permeation of 40 kDa fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran across confluent cells in the presence of IL-6. Transendothelial/epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) then was measured and the distribution of the tight junction protein ZO-1 was assessed by immunofluorescence using confocal microscopy.

Results

Treatment with IL-6 for 48 hours significantly increased the diffusion rate of FITC-dextran, decreased TEER, and disrupted the distribution of ZO-1 in ARPE-19 cells, which constitutively express the IL-6 transmembrane receptor, and this was reversed with IL-6R blockade. In contrast, IL-6 did not affect the paracellular permeability, TEER, or ZO-1 distribution in HRMECs.

Conclusions

These in vitro data support the hypothesis that IL-6 reversibly disrupts the integrity of ARPE-19 cells, but it does not affect HRMECs.

Translational Relevance

IL-6 is a candidate therapeutic target in the treatment of outer BRB driven ME.

The DNA Methylation Inhibitor Zebularine Controls CD4+ T Cell Mediated Intraocular Inflammation

CD4⁺ T cell mediated uveitis is conventionally treated with systemic immunosuppressive agents, including corticosteroids and biologics targeting key inflammatory cytokines. However, their long-term utility is limited due to various side effects. Here, we investigated whether DNA methylation inhibitor zebularine can target CD4⁺ T cells and control intraocular inflammation. Our results showed that zebularine restrained the expression of inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IL-17 in both human and murine CD4⁺ T cells in vitro. Importantly, it also significantly alleviated intraocular inflammation and retinal tissue damage in the murine experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) model in vivo, suggesting that the DNA methylation inhibitor zebularine is a candidate new therapeutic agent for uveitis.

Human Th17 cells produce a soluble mediator that increases podocyte motility via signaling pathways that mimic PAR-1 activation

The specific pathogenesis of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (NS) is poorly understood, and the role of immune mediators remains contentious. However, there is good evidence for the role of a circulating factor, and we recently postulated circulating proteases as candidate factors. Immunosuppressive therapy with glucocorticoids (GCs) and T cell inhibitors are widely used in the clinical treatment of NS. Given that T helper (CD4⁺) cells expressing IL-17A (so-called Th17 cells) have recently been reported to be resistant to GC treatment, and GC resistance remains a major challenge in the management of NS, we hypothesized that Th17 cells produce a circulating factor that is capable of signaling to the podocyte and inducing deleterious phenotypic changes. To test this, we generated human Th17 cells from healthy volunteers and added the supernatants from these T cell cultures to conditionally immortalized human podocytes in vitro. This demonstrated that podocytes treated with Th17 cell culture supernatant, as well as with patient disease plasma, showed significant stimulation of JNK and p38 MAPK pathways and an increase in motility, which was blocked using a JNK inhibitor. We have previously shown that nephrotic plasma elicits a podocyte response via protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1). Stimulation of PAR-1 in podocytes elicited the same signaling response as Th17 cell culture supernatant treatment. Equally, protease inhibitors with Th17 cell culture treatment blocked the signaling response. This was not replicated by the reagents added to Th17 cell cultures or by IL-17A. Hence, we conclude that an undefined soluble mediator produced by Th17 cells mimics the deleterious effect of PAR-1 activation in vitro. Given the association between pathogenic subsets of Th17 cells and GC resistance, these observations have potential therapeutic relevance for patients with NS.

The Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal Protein Inhibitor OTX015 Suppresses T Helper Cell Proliferation and Differentiation

BACKGROUND

Dynamic epigenetic alterations accompanying CD4+ T helper cell differentiation have been implicated in multiple autoimmune diseases. The bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins are epigenetic regulators that recognize and bind to acetylated histones in chromatin and are targets for pharmacological inhibition. In this study we tested a new BET inhibitor under clinical development, OTX015, to interrogate its effects on key CD4+ T cell subsets associated with autoimmunity.

METHODS

Naïve and memory murine and human CD4+ T cells were isolated and differentiated into populations characterized by the expression of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-17. Cultured cells were then exposed to varying concentrations of OTX015 in vitro, and its impact on cytokine expression was quantified by flow cytometry. In parallel, the expression of the transcription factors TBX21 and RORC was quantified by PCR. A previously studied BET inhibitor JQ1 was used as a pharmacological control.

RESULTS

OTX015 suppressed both murine and human CD4+ T cell proliferation. Its impact on cytokine expression varied in murine and human naïve and memory subsets. OTX015 was similarly effective as JQ1 in the suppression of cytokines and T helper cell proliferation. Higher concentrations of OTX015 also had a greater impact on the viability of murine versus human cells. IL-17 and IFN-γ expression was not altered in murine memory CD4+ T cells, whereas in human memory CD4+ T cells, OTX015 inhibited IL-17, but not IFN-γ. Across all human T cell subsets OTX015 suppressed IL-17 more effectively than IFN-γ.

CONCLUSION

Our studies demonstrate that OTX015 has anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing murine and human CD4+ T cell proliferation and subset-dependent proinflammatory cytokine expression, including the selective suppression of IL-17 in human memory CD4+ T cells.

Combined immunosuppression and radiotherapy in thyroid eye disease (CIRTED): a multicentre, 2 × 2 factorial, double-blind, randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Standard treatment for thyroid eye disease is with systemic corticosteroids. We aimed to establish whether orbital radiotherapy or antiproliferative immunosuppression would confer any additional benefit.

METHODS

CIRTED was a multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design done at six centres in the UK. Adults with active moderate-to-severe thyroid eye disease associated with proptosis or ocular motility restriction were recruited to the trial. Patients all received a 24 week course of oral prednisolone (80 mg per day, reduced to 20 mg per day by 6 weeks, 10 mg per day by 15 weeks, and 5 mg per day by 21 weeks) and were randomly assigned via remote computerised randomisation to receive either radiotherapy or sham radiotherapy and azathioprine or placebo in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Randomisation included minimisation to reduce baseline disparities in potential confounding variables between trial interventions. Patients and data analysts were masked to assignment, whereas trial coordinators (who monitored blood results), pharmacists, and radiographers were not. The radiotherapy dose was 20 Gy administered to the retrobulbar orbit in ten to 12 fractions over 2 to 3 weeks. Azathioprine treatment was provided for 48 weeks at 100-200 mg per day (dispensed as 50 mg tablets), depending on bodyweight (100 mg for <50 kg, 150 mg 50-79 kg, 200 mg for ≥80 kg). The primary outcomes were a binary composite clinical outcome score and an ophthalmopathy index at 48 weeks, and a clinical activity score at 12 weeks. The primary analysis was based on the intention-to-treat allocation and safety was assessed in all participants. This study is registered with ISRCTN, number 22471573.

FINDINGS

Between Feb 15, 2006, and Oct 3, 2013, 126 patients were recruited and randomly assigned to groups: 31 patients to radiotherapy plus azathioprine, 31 to sham radiotherapy and azathioprine, 32 to radiotherapy and placebo, and 32 to sham radiotherapy and placebo. Outcome data were available for 103 patients (54 for sham radiotherapy vs 49 for radiotherapy and 53 for placebo vs 50 for azathioprine), of whom 84 completed their allocated treatment of radiotherapy or sham radiotherapy and 57 continued to take azathioprine or placebo up to 48 weeks. There was no interaction betweeen azathioprine and radiotherapy (p_interaction=0·86). The adjusted odds ratio (OR_adj) for improvement in the binary clinical composite outcome measure was 2·56 (95% CI 0·98-6·66, p=0·054) for azathioprine and 0·89 (0·36-2·23, p=0·80) for radiotherapy. In a post-hoc analysis of patients who completed their allocated therapy the OR_adj for improvement was 6·83 (1·66-28·1, p=0·008) for azathioprine and 1·32 (0·30-4·84, p=0·67) for radiotherapy. The ophthalmopathy index, clinical activity score, and numbers of adverse events (161 with azathioprine and 156 with radiotherapy) did not differ between treatment groups. In both groups, the most common adverse events were mild infections. No patients died during the study.

INTERPRETATION

In patients receiving oral prednisolone for 24 weeks, radiotherapy did not have added benefit. We also did not find added benefit for addition of azathioprine in the primary analysis; however, our conclusions are limited by the high number of patients who withdrew from treatment. Results of post-hoc analysis of those who completed the assigned treatment suggest improved clinical outcome at 48 weeks with azathioprine treatment.

FUNDING

National Eye Research Centre, Above and Beyond, and Moorfields Eye Charity.

Application of OCT-angiography to characterise the evolution of chorioretinal lesions in acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy

PurposeThe aim of this study was to determine a sequence of structural changes in acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE) using optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCT-A) and comparing with other imaging modalities.Patients and methodsPatients with a new diagnosis of acute-onset APMPPE referred to a regional specialist centre from October 2015 to October 2016 were included. Multimodal imaging employed on all patients from diagnosis included the following: fundus fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, fundus autofluorescence, spectral domain-OCT (SD-OCT), and OCT-A. All non-invasive imaging processes were repeated during follow-up.ResultsTen eyes of five patients were included in the study, three males and two females, with a mean age of 26.2 years (range: 21-32) and a mean follow-up of 6.4 months (range: 2.6-13.3). All patients presented with bilateral disease and macular involving lesions. OCT-A imaging of the choriocapillaris was supportive of hypoperfusion at the site of APMPPE lesions during the acute phase of this condition with normalisation of choroidal vasculature during follow-up. Multimodal imaging consistently highlighted four sequential phases from presentation to resolution of active disease.ConclusionsMultimodal imaging in patients with APMPPE in acute and long-term follow-up demonstrates a reversible choroidal hypoperfusion supporting the primary inciting pathology as a choriocapillaritis. The evolution shows resolution of the ischaemia through a defined sequence that results in persistent changes at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium and outer retina. OCT-A was able to detect preclinical changes and chart resolution at the level of the choriocapillaris.

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Findings in Dengue-Related Maculopathy: A Case Report

The ophthalmic manifestations of dengue fever include a visually impairing maculopathy, where patients are left with a central or paracentral relative scotoma. The authors present a case of a 26-year-old female patient returning from Thailand with unilateral reduction in visual acuity and a central scotoma associated with dengue fever. The authors report the use of the optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) as a noninvasive imaging platform to demonstrate its value in showing the persistent changes corresponding to the functional central scotoma in dengue-related maculopathy, which often cannot be visualized clinically or by standard OCT and fundus fluorescein angiography. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2016;47:1057-1060.].

A Crossover Design for Comparative Efficacy: A 36-Week Randomized Trial of Bevacizumab and Ranibizumab for Diabetic Macular Edema

PURPOSE

To investigate the comparative efficacy of bevacizumab (Avastin) and ranibizumab (Lucentis; both Genentech, Inc, South San Francisco, CA) for diabetic macular edema (DME) using a crossover study design.

DESIGN

Randomized, double-masked, 36-week, 3-period crossover clinical trial.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifty-six subjects with DME involving the center of the macula in one or both eyes.

METHODS

Monthly intravitreous injections of bevacizumab (1.25 mg) or ranibizumab (0.3 mg).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Comparison of mean changes in visual acuity and central retinal thickness, tested using a linear mixed-effects model.

RESULTS

Based on the linear mixed-effects model, the 3-month estimated mean improvement in visual acuity was 5.3 letters for bevacizumab and 6.6 letters for ranibizumab (difference, 1.3 letters; P = 0.039). Estimated change in optical coherence tomography (OCT) central subfield mean thickness (CSMT) was -89 μm for bevacizumab and -137 μm for ranibizumab (difference, 48 μm; P < 0.001). Incorporating cumulative treatment benefit, the model yielded a predicted 36-week (9-month) average improvement in visual acuity of 7.1 letters (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.0-9.2) for bevacizumab and 8.4 letters (95% CI, 6.3-10.5) for ranibizumab, and a change in OCT CSMT of -128 μm (95% CI, -155 to -100) for bevacizumab and -176 μm (95% CI, -202 to -149) for ranibizumab. There was no significant treatment-by-period interaction (i.e., treatment difference was constant in all 3 periods), nor was there a significant differential carryover effect from one period to the next.

CONCLUSIONS

This trial demonstrated a statistically significant but small relative clinical benefit of ranibizumab compared with bevacizumab for treatment of DME, using a markedly reduced sample size relative to a full comparative efficacy study. The effects on visual acuity and central retinal thickness for the 2 drugs are consistent with those reported at 1 year for the concurrent parallel-group trial by the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network testing bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept for DME. The 3-period crossover design allowed for meaningful and efficient comparison, suggesting that this approach may be useful for future comparative efficacy studies of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs for DME.

Phase IIb clinical trial of ranibizumab for the treatment of uveitic and idiopathic choroidal neovascular membranes

AIM

To assess the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab for the treatment of new onset inflammatory choroidal neovascularisation (iCNV), including both uveitic and idiopathic CNVs.

METHODS

Single-centre, open-label, non-randomised Phase IIb clinical trial. Patients fulfilling strict entry criteria of new onset iCNV were given monthly intravitreal ranibizumab injections for 3 months. Thereafter, re-treatment was based on evidence of persisting activity. All patients completed trial follow-up. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were performed at every visit. Fluorescein angiography was performed at baseline, months 4 and 12. Descriptive analysis and Wilcoxon non-parametric test were performed for analysis.

RESULTS

15 patients, 10 women with a mean age of 48.8 years (range 24-85 years) were included in the study. The mean number of injections was 4.33 (range 3-7). There was a statistically significant difference in the BCVA at month 4 (p=0.001) and at month 12 (p=0.001) compared with baseline. The mean gain in BCVA at month 4 compared with baseline was 20±15.36 letters (mean±SD), and at month 12 was 21±16.97 letters. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean central subfield thickness (CST) at baseline versus month 4 (p=0.003) and month 12 (p=0.001).

CONCLUSION

Patients gained vision (mean of 21 letters at 12 months) and showed reduced CST. These results support the continued use of ranibizumab in the treatment of iCNV.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

2008-007476-19, results.

Structural changes of the choroid in sarcoid- and tuberculosis-related granulomatous uveitis

AIM

The aim of this study is to characterise the choroidal features of patients diagnosed with sarcoid- and tuberculosis (TB)-associated granulomatous uveitis using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT).

METHODS

Twenty-seven patients (27 eyes) diagnosed with sarcoid- (13 eyes) and TB (14 eyes)-related uveitis were included in this retrospective, cross-sectional study. Over a six-month period, patients diagnosed with sarcoid and TB granulomatous uveitis were scanned using enhanced depth imaging OCT. Clinical and demographical characteristics were recorded, including the method of diagnosis, disease activity, site of inflammation (anterior or posterior), treatments, and visual acuity (VA). Manual segmentation of the choroidal layers was performed using custom image analysis software.

RESULTS

The main outcome measure was OCT-derived thickness measurements of the choroid and choroidal sublayers (Haller's large vessel and Sattler's medium vessel layers) at the macula region. The ratio of Haller's large vessel to Sattler's medium vessel layer was significantly different at the total macula circle in eyes diagnosed with TB uveitis (1.47 (=140.71/95.72 μm)) compared with sarcoid uveitis (1.07 (=137.70/128.69 μm)) (P=0.001). A thinner choroid was observed in eyes with a VA ≥0.3 LogMAR (Snellen 6/12; 198.1 μm (interquartile range (IQR)=147.0-253.4 μm) compared with those with VA <0.3 LogMAR (292.4 μm (IQR=240.1-347.6 μm)) at the total macula circle (P=0.004). At the foveal central subfield, the median choroidal thickness was 336.8 μm (IQR=272.3-375.4 μm) in active compared with 239.3 μm (IQR=195.3-330.9 μm) in quiescent disease (P=0.04).

CONCLUSION

A disproportionately enlarged Sattler's layer may indicate a diagnosis of sarcoid-related uveitis, and choroidal thickening may be a feature of active granulomatous uveitis.

Optic nerve and retinal features in uveitis associated with juvenile systemic granulomatous disease (Blau syndrome)

PURPOSE

To determine whether patients with juvenile systemic granulomatous disease (JSGD) (Blau syndrome) and uveitis have a characteristic ocular phenotype.

METHODS

Clinical and imaging data were collected retrospectively from patients attending the Regional Combined Paediatric Rheumatology and Ocular Inflammatory Service, Bristol Eye Hospital. General demographic information, laterality of the uveitis, age at onset, anatomical classification and course of the uveitis, clinical phenotype and specific NOD2 mutation were recorded for each patient.

RESULTS

Seventeen eyes from nine patients (five males; four females) were included in the study. Mean age at the disease onset was 15 months, range 1-84 months. Eight patients had bilateral uveitis. Anterior uveitis was present in five eyes, intermediate uveitis in two eyes, and there were 10 eyes with panuveitis, manifesting as multifocal choroiditis. Appearance of optic disc included indistinct disc margins in six eyes, optic nerve head pallor in six eyes, optic disc vessel sheathing in four eyes, and there was peripapillary hypo/hyperpigmentation in 13 eyes accompanied with characteristic peripapillary nodular excrescences. Among NOD2 mutations, the p.R334W was the most commonly detected (n: four cases), and three patients carried novel variants, the p.E338D and p.D390V variants in one patient, and the p.H520Y and p.Q809K variants in two different patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic bilateral panuveitis and a nodular peripapillary appearance in childhood onset uveitis are characteristic features of JSGD, which support the need for an appropriate genetic NOD2 analysis.

CD14++CD16+ Monocytes Are Enriched by Glucocorticoid Treatment and Are Functionally Attenuated in Driving Effector T Cell Responses

Human peripheral monocytes have been categorized into three subsets based on differential expression levels of CD14 and CD16. However, the factors that influence the distribution of monocyte subsets and the roles that each subset plays in autoimmunity are not well studied. In this study, we show that circulating monocytes from patients with autoimmune uveitis exhibit a skewed phenotype toward intermediate CD14(++)CD16(+) cells, and that this is associated with glucocorticoid therapy. We further demonstrate that CD14(++)CD16(+) monocytes from patients and healthy control donors share a similar cell-surface marker and gene expression profile. Comparison of the effects of intermediate CD14(++)CD16(+) monocytes with classical CD14(++)CD16(-) and nonclassical CD14(+)CD16(++) monocytes revealed that the intermediate CD14(++)CD16(+) subset had an attenuated capacity to promote both naive CD4(+) T cell proliferation and polarization into a Th1 phenotype, and memory CD4(+) T cell proliferation and IL-17 expression. Furthermore, CD14(++)CD16(+) cells inhibit CD4(+) T cell proliferation induced by other monocyte subsets and enhance CD4(+) T regulatory cell IL-10 expression. These data demonstrate the impact of glucocorticoids on monocyte phenotype in the context of autoimmune disease and the differential effects of monocyte subsets on effector T cell responses.

Increased CD1c+ mDC1 with mature phenotype regulated by TNFα-p38 MAPK in autoimmune ocular inflammatory disease

In this study we investigated the role of blood CD1c(+) myeloid dendritic cells 1 (mDC1), a key mDC subtype, in patients with autoimmune uveitis. We observed a significant increase of blood CD1c(+) mDC1 in uveitis patients. The increased CD1c(+) mDC1 exhibited high HLADR expression and less antigen uptake. CD1c(+) mDC1 were divided into two subpopulations. CD1c(hi) mDC1 subpopulation showed less antigen uptake and higher HLADR expression compared to CD1c(lo) mDC1 subpopulation. Importantly, the CD1c(hi) mDC1 subpopulation was increased in uveitis patients. In vitro, mature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs), characterized by lower levels of antigen uptake, induced more CD4(+)CD62L(-) T helper cell proliferation. The mature phenotype and function of CD1c(+) mDC1 were regulated by TNFα via a p38 MAPK-dependent pathway. These data show that alterations in the systemic immune response are involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune uveitis and invite the therapeutic possibility of attenuating uveitis by manipulating blood CD1c(+) mDC1.

Regulatory T cell levels and cytokine production in active non-infectious uveitis: in-vitro effects of pharmacological treatment

The aim of this study was to quantify the proportion of regulatory T cells (Treg ) and cytokine expression by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with active non-infectious uveitis, and to evaluate the effect of in-vitro treatment with infliximab, dexamethasone and cyclosporin A on Treg levels and cytokine production in PBMCs from uveitis patients and healthy subjects. We included a group of 21 patients with active non-infectious uveitis and 18 age-matched healthy subjects. The proportion of forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3)(+) Treg cells and intracellular tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression in CD4(+) T cells was determined by flow cytometry. PBMCs were also either rested or activated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 and cultured in the presence or absence of dexamethasone, cyclosporin A and infliximab. Supernatants of cultured PBMCs were collected and TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-17 and interferon (IFN)-γ levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). No significant differences were observed in nTreg levels between uveitis patients and healthy subjects. However, PBMCs from uveitis patients produced significantly higher amounts of TNF-α and lower amounts of IL-10. Dexamethasone treatment in vitro significantly reduced FoxP3(+) Treg levels in PBMCs from both healthy subjects and uveitis patients, and all tested drugs significantly reduced TNF-α production in PBMCs. Dexamethasone and cyclosporin A significantly reduced IL-17 and IFN-γ production in PBMCs and dexamethasone up-regulated IL-10 production in activated PBMCs from healthy subjects. Our results suggest that PBMCs from patients with uveitis express more TNF-α and less IL-10 than healthy subjects, and this is independent of FoxP3(+) Treg levels. Treatment with infliximab, dexamethasone and cyclosporin A in vitro modulates cytokine production, but does not increase the proportion of FoxP3(+) Treg cells.

Clinical outcomes of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in refractory uveitis

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy has multiple mechanisms of immunomodulatory action. We wished therefore to assess its efficacy in a spectrum of patients with refractory uveitis. Retrospective review of clinical charts was conducted to document response to IVIg treatment in consecutive patients with treatment-refractory uveitis. Main outcome measures were control of intraocular inflammation, visual acuity, progression of the disease, and complications. Four (two male) patients, with a mean age at the beginning of the treatment of 47 years (range: 39-64), were included in the study. Indication for treatment was patients with active non-infectious uveitis refractory to steroids and immunomodulatory therapy. All patients received a course of 0.5 g/kg per day of IVIg for three consecutive days, repeating this course at a mean of 11 week (range: 2-39 weeks) intervals when indicated clinically. The median duration of the IVIg therapy was 7 months (range: 3-14 months). In three patients treatment resulted in stabilisation and prevention of progression of the disease, and additionally in two patients it facilitated a decrease in prednisolone dose. Treatment failed to induce long-term remission in one patient with recurrence of macular oedema. IVIg was well tolerated with neither immediate nor longer-term adverse events observed. In three out of four cases IVIg was an effective adjunctive therapy and well tolerated for the management of treatment-refractory uveitis.

Levels of blood CD1c+ mDC1 and CD1chi mDC1 subpopulation reflect disease activity in noninfectious uveitis

PURPOSE

Myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) play an important role in autoimmune diseases. However, the role of blood CD1c(+) myeloid dendritic cells 1 (mDC1s), the subset of human blood mDCs, is not well understood in noninfectious uveitis.

METHODS

Fresh peripheral blood samples from human noninfectious uveitis patients (n = 32) and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 64) were stained with FITC-Lineage 1 (Lin1), PERCP-HLADR, and PE-CD1c antibodies. The levels of mDC1 were quantified by using flow cytometric analysis. Longitudinal data from patients (n = 16) were analyzed to correlate the levels of mDC1 with disease activity.

RESULTS

Blood CD1c(+) mDC1 and its subpopulation, CD1c(hi) mDC1, were increased in uveitis patients compared with HCs. Longitudinal data demonstrated that both the CD1c(+) mDC1 and CD1c(hi) mDC1 subpopulation reflected a dynamic change in clinical uveitis activity: CD1c expression was increased in active uveitis but decreased when uveitis became inactive.

CONCLUSIONS

Given these observations, an alteration in blood CD1c(+) mDC1 and the CD1c(hi) mDC1 subpopulation could be a potential biomarker to monitor clinical uveitis activity within patients.

Diagnostic features of the autoimmune retinopathies

The term autoimmune retinopathy encompasses a spectrum of rare autoimmune diseases that affect retinal function, often but not exclusively at the level of the photoreceptor. They typically present with painless visual loss, which may be accompanied by normal fundus examination. Some are progressive, often rapidly. They present a diagnostic challenge because there are no standardised clinical or laboratory based diagnostic criteria. Included within the spectrum are cancer-associated retinopathy, melanoma-associated retinopathy and presumed non-paraneoplastic autoimmune retinopathy. Differentiation from other retinopathies can be challenging, with overlap in symptoms, signs, and investigation findings, and an absence of pathognomonic features. However, technological developments in ophthalmic imaging and serological investigation over the past decade are adding novel dimensions to the investigation and classification of patients with these rare diseases. This review addresses the clinical, imaging, and serological features of the autoimmune retinopathies, and discusses the relative strengths and limitations of candidate diagnostic features.

Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 mediates migration of Th1 and Th17 cells across human retinal vascular endothelium

PURPOSE

Autoimmune inflammation of the retina causes vision loss in the majority of affected individuals. Th1 or Th17 cells initiate the disease on trafficking from the circulation into the eye across the retinal vascular endothelium. We investigated the ability of human Th1- and Th17-polarized cells to cross a simulated human retinal endothelium, and examined the role of IgG superfamily members in this process.

METHODS

Th1- and Th17-polarized cell populations were generated from human peripheral blood CD4(+) T cells, using two Th1- and Th17-polarizing protocols. Transendothelial migration assays were performed over 18 hours in Boyden chambers, after seeding the transwell membrane with human retinal endothelial cells. In some assays intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), or activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) blocking antibody, or isotype- and concentration-matched control antibody, was added to the upper chambers.

RESULTS

Th1- and Th17-polarized cells migrated equally efficiently across the human retinal endothelial monolayer. The percentage of IL-17(+) IFN-γ(-) Th17-polarized cells was reduced following migration. Blocking ICAM-1, but not VCAM-1 or ALCAM, significantly reduced migration of Th1- and Th17-polarized cells for a majority of human donors.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken in the context of other literature on transendothelial migration, our results illustrate the importance of investigating the specific tissue and vascular endothelium when considering helper T cell migration in autoimmune inflammation. Our findings further indicate that while generalizations about involvement of specific adhesion molecules in uveitis and other autoimmune disease may be possible, these may not apply to individual patients universally. The observations are relevant to the use of adhesion blockade for therapeutic purposes.

The safety and efficacy of noncorticosteroid triple immunosuppressive therapy in the treatment of refractory chronic noninfectious uveitis in childhood

OBJECTIVE

To assess the safety and efficacy of noncorticosteroid triple immunosuppressive therapy in the treatment of refractory chronic noninfectious childhood uveitis.

METHODS

Subjects were retrospectively selected from a database. Patients were included if they were diagnosed with chronic, noninfectious uveitis at 16 years of age or under and treated with triple immunosuppressive therapy for at least 6 months (following failure of a combination of 2 immunosuppressants). Patient demographics, diagnoses, duration of uveitis, drug dosages, active joint inflammation, and ophthalmologic data were recorded. Efficacy outcomes for triple therapy were recorded at 6 months.

RESULTS

Thirteen patients with bilateral uveitis were included. Using Standardized Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) criteria, at 6 months only 11 eyes (42%) had a 2-step improvement in anterior chamber cell inflammation (n = 26). In addition, 2 patients required additional oral corticosteroid treatment. There were 4 significant infectious adverse events during a total of 21.9 patient-years (PY) on triple therapy (0.18 events per PY).

CONCLUSION

In this group of children with refractory uveitis, addition of a third immunosuppressive agent did not confer substantial benefit in redressing ocular inflammation and was associated with significant infections in a minority of patients.

SIRT1 activation protects against autoimmune T cell-driven retinal disease in mice via inhibition of IL-2/Stat5 signaling

Sirtuins are a mammalian family of NAD(+)-dependent histone deacetylases that regulate cell function and survival as well as regulating cell responses under inflammatory conditions. SIRT1 activator treatment in vitro using mouse pLN cells, normal human and ocular Behçet's disease donor PBMC resulted in suppressed T cell proliferation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Our data suggest a novel mechanism by which SIRT1 activators contribute to suppression of T cell proliferation by both down regulating STAT5A/B expression and suppression of pSTAT5A/B signaling in response to IL-2. Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) in B10.RIII mice is an antigen-specific cell-mediated model of human intra-ocular inflammatory disease. Infiltrating CD4(+) T cells in the retina secrete both IFN-γ and IL-17 and are accompanied by inflammatory granulocytes and macrophages which together result in retinal destruction. Oral SIRT1 activator treatment administered to EAU mice suppressed disease with an accompanying reduction in retinal leukocytic infiltrate, suppressed antigen-specific T cell responses and marked suppression of innate and adaptive pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the eye including IL-6, IL-17A and IFN-γ. In vivo SIRT1 activator treatment also suppressed production of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-6, TGFβ and IL-22 by pLN cells. Oral SIRT1 activator treatment administered to mice during the efferent phase (days7-14) of EAU was effective at suppressing disease. These observations demonstrate that SIRT1 activation is anti-inflammatory in nature and future targeted activation of SIRT1 shows promise as a potential treatment for non-infectious intra-ocular disorders such as uveitis associated with Behçets disease.

Orbital radiotherapy for adult thyroid eye disease

BACKGROUND

Thyroid eye disease is an autoimmune inflammatory condition of the orbital and periorbital tissues. Orbital radiotherapy is an anti-inflammatory treatment used in the treatment of active thyroid eye disease. It is administered as an outpatient procedure in 10 to 12 fractionated doses.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness and adverse events of orbital radiotherapy in thyroid eye disease. The effectiveness was dependent on the level of 'success' of the intervention predefined in each randomised controlled trial (RCT).

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 2), MEDLINE (January 1950 to March 2012), EMBASE (January 1980 to March 2012), Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS) (January 1982 to March 2012), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not restrict the electronic searches for trials by date or language. We last searched the electronic databases on 12 March 2012. We screened reference lists of reports of included studies, other reviews and book chapters to find additional trials. We contacted trial investigators and experts in the field to identify additionally published studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included RCTs of orbital radiotherapy versus sham radiotherapy or other interventions enrolling adults, with a minimum of three months' follow-up and an endpoint of two years or less post treatment.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. Trial authors were contacted for missing data. The risk ratio was used for our primary outcome. For our secondary outcomes, the odds ratio and mean difference were reported where possible.

MAIN RESULTS

We obtained full-text copies of nine potential studies and included five trials with a total of 244 participants in this review. Orbital radiotherapy was compared to sham radiotherapy in two studies and to glucocorticoids in three studies, as a monotherapy or combination therapy. There was heterogeneity (as defined in our protocol) of trial outcome measures. Our primary outcome of a composite score was used in the two trials comparing radiotherapy versus sham radiotherapy and showed a risk ratio of success of 1.92 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27 to 2.91) in favour of orbital radiotherapy. The primary outcome was not used in the other three trials.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review found that orbital radiotherapy is more effective than sham radiotherapy for the treatment of mild-to-moderate thyroid eye disease. In a single trial no difference between radiotherapy and steroid monotherapy was found. A meta-analysis of our secondary outcome of disease severity was not possible but results from individual trials suggest a better outcome with combination treatment with steroids versus steroids alone. No significant changes in quality-of-life scores following treatment with radiotherapy versus alternative treatments were found. Short-term adverse events related to radiotherapy that were reported were local and mild but long-term data were lacking and development of retinal changes following radiotherapy was not reported on.

Current concepts and future directions in the pathogenesis and treatment of non-infectious intraocular inflammation

The blockbuster drug paradigm is under increasing scrutiny across the biopharmaceutical industry. Intraocular inflammation poses particular challenges to this, given the heterogeneity of conditions in the uveitis spectrum, and the increasing acknowledgement of individual patient and disease variance in underlying immune responses. This need has triggered a drive towards personalised and stratified medicine, supported and enabled as a result of continued development of both experimental models and molecular biological techniques and improved clinical classification. As such we have the ability now to systematically appraise at a genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic level individual immunophenotype, and the promise that in the eye this can be augmented by in vivo immune imaging to identify individual immunopathology. With such advances all running in parallel, we are entering an era of experimental medicine that will facilitate early diagnosis, generate biomarkers for accurate prognostication, and enable the development of individualised and targeted therapies, which can progress rapidly into clinical practice.

Clinical review: Anti-TNFalpha therapies in uveitis: perspective on 5 years of clinical experience

Despite a lack of robust evidence, anti-TNF therapies are in wide use for the treatment of noninfectious ocular inflammatory diseases. There is a clear rationale, based on mechanistic and preclinical efficacy data, for their use in posterior segment intraocular inflammation. However, their increasing use for other indications has been largely extrapolated from the benefit observed in autoinflammatory and autoimmune systemic diseases. Given their cost and the potential for significant adverse events, this review highlights the evidence for their continued use, possibilities for switching anti-TNF agents, and ways of reducing the risk of therapy.

Glucocorticoids and the emerging importance of T cell subsets in steroid refractory diseases

Glucocorticoids remain the first-line treatment for a range of autoimmune and allergic diseases. However, 30% of patients fail to achieve disease control at tolerable systemic doses and continue to have an increased immune response with poor clinical outcome. This steroid refractory (SR) phenotype has previously been attributed to enhanced expression of inactive glucocorticoid receptor isoforms and cytokine-mediated suppression of glucocorticoid (GC) signaling, in particular by interleukin-2. These mechanisms are discussed, with emphasis on recent evidence for the role of the CD4(+)CD25(int) and GC-induced T regulatory cell subsets in perpetrating SR disease.

Steroid refractory CD4+ T cells in patients with sight-threatening uveitis

PURPOSE

A discrete subpopulation of steroid refractory (SR) CD4(+) T cells has recently been identified in patients with SR ulcerative colitis (UC). The purpose of this study was to test whether this subpopulation is also present in patients with clinically defined SR uveitis. As interleukin (IL)-2 experimentally mediates the SR phenotype, the combined effects of dexamethasone (Dex) and a range of IL-2 targeting immunosuppressive agents were also investigated.

METHODS

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 27 patients with uveitis and 4 normal volunteers were cultured for 5 days with CD3-CD28 beads. In vitro steroid refractivity or responsiveness was determined by the presence or absence of a subpopulation of SR CD4(+) cells (as previously reported for UC) that continued to proliferate or not in the presence of Dex. The patients were concurrently classified by a masked investigator as having clinically SR (threshold for disease reactivation, >or=10 mg prednisone daily) or steroid sensitive (SS) disease.

RESULTS

There was 78% (21/27) agreement between the in vitro and clinical classifications of SR and SS disease (kappa coefficient = 0.56, P = 0.002). This finding corresponds to a positive predictive value of 90% and a negative predictive value of 71%. In normal volunteers, basiliximab, daclizumab, and AG490 achieved an equivalent augmentation of CD4(+) cell suppression in combination with Dex.

CONCLUSIONS

As in UC, patients with SR uveitis have a subpopulation of SR CD4(+) cells that are a potential target for intervention with anti-IL-2 therapies, including inhibitors of JAK/STAT signaling. The identification of SR T cells also has potential clinical application as a biomarker for SR disease.

CD4+CD25(int) T cells in inflammatory diseases refractory to treatment with glucocorticoids

Up to 30% of patients with autoimmune, allergic, and lymphoproliferative diseases are refractory to glucocorticoid therapy. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether such steroid resistance (SR) is limited to a subpopulation of CD4(+) T cells and, as IL-2 is a putative driver of SR, whether T cell SR is associated with CD25 expression. We show that SR patients have a characteristic subgroup of activated CD4(+) T cells that continue to proliferate despite exposure to high-dose Dexamethasone (Dex), demonstrate that CD4(+)CD25(-) cells are exquisitely sensitive to Dex whereas CD4(+)CD25(int) cells are highly SR, and further find that the combination of an anti-CD25 mAb with Dex enhances suppression of T cell proliferation compared with each agent alone. We therefore conclude that SR is not a general property of all lymphocytes but resides in T cell subpopulations, which are prevalent in SR patients and express intermediary levels of CD25. As a result, we propose a new paradigm for SR disease in which glucocorticoid therapy positively selects SR cells, generating a population of drug-resistant lymphocytes that perpetuate on-going inflammation.

Protocol for the combined immunosuppression & radiotherapy in thyroid eye disease (CIRTED) trial: a multi-centre, double-masked, factorial randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Medical management of thyroid eye disease remains controversial due to a paucity of high quality evidence on long-term treatment outcomes. Glucocorticoids are known to be effective initially but have significant side-effects with long-term use and recrudescence can occur on cessation. Current evidence is conflicting on the efficacy of radiotherapy and non-steroid systemic immunosuppression, and the majority of previous studies have been retrospective, uncontrolled, small or poorly designed.The Combined Immunosuppression and Radiotherapy in Thyroid Eye Disease (CIRTED) trial was designed to investigate the efficacy of radiotherapy and azathioprine in combination with a standard course of oral prednisolone in patients with active thyroid eye disease.

METHODS/DESIGN

Patients with active thyroid eye disease will be randomised to receive (i) azathioprine or oral placebo and (ii) radiotherapy or sham-radiotherapy in this multi-centre, factorial randomised control trial. The primary outcome is improvement in disease severity (assessed using a composite binary measure) at 12 months and secondary end-points include quality of life scores and health economic measures.

DISCUSSION

The CIRTED trial is the first study to evaluate the role of radiotherapy and azathioprine as part of a long-term, combination immunosuppressive treatment regime for Thyroid Eye Disease. It will provide evidence for the role of radiotherapy and prolonged immunosuppression in the management of this condition, as well as pilot data on their use in combination. We have paid particular attention in the trial design to establishing (a) robust placebo controls and masking protocols which are effective and safe for both radiotherapy and the systemic administration of an antiproliferative drug; (b) constructing effective inclusion and exclusion criteria to select for active disease; and (c) selecting pragmatic outcome measures.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Current controlled trials ISRCTN22471573.

Bilateral infiltrative disease of the extraocular muscles: a rare clinical presentation of early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Orbital involvement in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is highly unusual and most commonly involves hemorrhage or soft tissue infiltration in advanced disease. We report a case of rapid onset bilateral orbital muscle infiltration as the presenting feature of early stage CLL. In addition, we demonstrate clinico-pathological correlation with an identical chronic B-cell lymphocytic infiltrate in both orbit and bone marrow, with good response of the orbital disease to local radiotherapy.

Long-term Efficacy and Tolerance of Tacrolimus for the Treatment of Uveitis

PURPOSE

To evaluate the long-term efficacy and tolerance of tacrolimus for the treatment of uveitis.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

PARTICIPANTS

Sixty-two consecutive patients with noninfectious uveitis treated with tacrolimus at a single academic referral center between April 2000 and April 2004.

METHODS

A standard data set was obtained from patients' medical records and analyzed according to the recommendations of the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature Working Group.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

(1) Rate of tapering oral prednisone to 10 mg daily, (2) requirement for alternative second-line immunosuppressive therapy, and (3) rate of tacrolimus dose reduction or discontinuation due to side effects.

RESULTS

In this cohort with well-established ocular inflammation, patients successfully tapered their oral prednisone to 10 mg daily at an average rate of 1.62 per patient-year (PY), with an 85% probability of achieving < or =10 mg after 1 year 2 months of treatment. Tacrolimus was discontinued due to intolerance at a rate of 0.13/PY. This was predominantly due to noncardiovascular adverse events, and rates of introducing or increasing concomitant treatment for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes mellitus were all below 0.05/PY. Creatinine rises of > or =30% were also notably uncommon (0.05/PY).

CONCLUSION

Tacrolimus's efficacy for the treatment of uveitis is maintained long-term, and its cardiovascular risk profile is excellent.

The aetiology of paediatric rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: 15 years experience

PURPOSE

To provide contemporary data on the aetiology of paediatric rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in the UK population.

METHODS

Retrospective case series.

RESULTS

Eighty-eight eyes in 82 patients (aged 0-16 years) were treated for RRD at Bristol Eye Hospital between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2004. Seventy-three per cent of patients were male and the main predisposing factors were trauma (53%), associated conditions (27%), and high myopia (17%). Nineteen per cent of RRDs were idiopathic, and the majority of these were due to infero-temporal dialyses. The macula was detached on presentation in 66% of eyes.

CONCLUSIONS

The principal causes of paediatric RRDs have not changed over the past 40 years. Those due to congenital cataracts, retinopathy of prematurity, uveitis, and glaucoma are now less prevalent, presumably reflecting advances in their management. Differences with other contemporary series may arise from geographical variation in the prevalence of myopia and other associated conditions, as well as institutional referral patterns. Full examination of the retinal periphery is advised for children with eye injuries (to exclude dialyses).

Signal intensity, clinical activity and cross-sectional areas on MRI scans in thyroid eye disease

The signal intensity from inflamed extra-ocular muscles on short tau inversion recovery (STIR)-sequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is known to correlate with clinical scores of thyroid eye disease (TED) severity. Twenty-one patients who had undergone repeated MRI scanning for TED were studied retrospectively. Signal intensity of extra-ocular muscles (from STIR-sequence MRI) and cross-sectional area (from STIR and T1 MRI) were correlated with Mourits' clinical activity score (CAS). The area of highest signal intensity within the most inflamed extra-ocular muscle, and the average cross-sectional signal intensity of the most inflamed extra-ocular muscle reliably correlated with CAS, and this was maintained as disease activity changed over time. In contrast, isolated measures of muscle cross-sectional area did not correlate with CAS. The extra-ocular muscle cross-sectional area calculated from STIR-sequence MR images was greater than that measured on T1 images. This suggests that muscle area from STIR-sequence MRI may also detect peri-muscular inflammation. We conclude that the peak signal intensity from the most inflamed extra-ocular muscle remains the most reliable correlate of clinical disease activity obtained from these images. STIR-sequence MRI scans provide a number of useful measures of disease activity in TED.