[Bromocriptine: a new therapy concept in the treatment of chronic recurrent uveitis?]

Chronic recurrent uveitis still responds unsatisfactorily to therapy. Prolactin, a pituitary hormone that attains high blood levels physiologically in stress situations, has an immune modulating effect. The prolactin antagonist bromocriptine (2 x 2.5 mg/day) was administered prophylactically to prevent recurrence in seven patients with chronic iritis/iridocyclitis or panuveitis (Group A). On this therapy two patients suffered a mild recurrence (in one case in the first month). Another patient developed rebound uveitis after discontinuing bromocriptine medication. Tolerance appears to vary considerably, and in three patients the therapy had to be discontinued because of arterial hypotension and congestive rhinopathy, respectively. The three patients in Group B (with iritis, sympathetic ophthalmia, and intermediate uveitis) received bromocriptine in addition to cyclosporin A after plasmapheresis. This combination resulted in an elevated cyclosporin A plasma level, and the dosage was reduced by 30-50% (plasma level 70-120 ng/ml). With this lower dosage of cyclosporin A, the creatinine level of one of the patients returned to normal. Viewed on the basis of these initial results bromocriptine would appear to reduce the number of recurrences of chronic uveitis. Moreover, the synergism with cyclosporin A, described both theoretically and in an animal model in the literature, appears attainable in therapy.