Anti-CD20 therapy for multiple sclerosis-associated uveitis: A case series

Approximately 1% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have uveitis, but data on the effects of immunotherapies for MS on MS-associated uveitis are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the ophthalmological outcomes in patients with MS-associated uveitis treated with anti-CD20 therapy.

A retrospective study of 12 eyes of six patients with MS-associated uveitis, refractory to previous immunotherapies, was conducted. Uveitis activity was assessed before initiation of anti-CD20 therapy and at regular follow-up visits. Primary outcome measures were: vitreous haze score; retinal vasculitis score, determined on fluorescein angiography images; macular edema, as quantified by central retinal thickness (CRT) on optical coherence tomography; and visual acuity (VA). Secondary outcomes included number of annualized uveitis or MS relapses, disease activity on cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score.

After a median (interquartile range [IQR]) treatment time of 28.5 (8-43) months, anti-CD20 therapy was associated with an improvement of vitreous haze score (p = 0.002), retinal vasculitis score (p = 0.001), CRT (p = 0.002), and VA (p = 0.007). The median (IQR) annualized uveitis relapse rate declined from 0.59 (0.56-0.94) before to 0 (0-0.49) after the start of anti-CD20 therapy. The median (IQR) annualized MS relapse rate declined from 0.62 (0.26-2.84) before to 0 (0-0) after the start of anti-CD20 therapy. After initiation of anti-CD20 therapy, there was no disease activity on cMRI, and EDSS score improved (n = 2) or remained stable (n = 4). No severe adverse events were observed.

These findings suggest that anti-CD20 therapy may be a valuable treatment option for MS-associated uveitis.