Table 5 Treatment of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease: drugs, dosages and main side effects [126, 127]
From: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease: review of a rare autoimmune disease targeting antigens of melanocytes
Drug | Dosage | Main side effects |
|---|---|---|
Corticosteroids | ||
Prednisone or prednisolone | 1–1.5 mg/kg/day, gradual tapering along a minimum 6 month-period | hyperglicemia, hypertension, osteoporosis, Cushingoid appearance, myopathy, cataract, glaucoma |
Pulsetherapy of methylprednisolone | 1 g/day during 3 days, followed by oral prednisone | |
Antimetabolites | ||
Azathioprine | 1–2.5 mg/kg/day | myelosuppression, gastrointestinal disturbances, infection |
Methotrexate | 7.5–25 mg/week | nausea, vomiting, abnormalities in liver function tests, infection |
Mycophenolate mofetil | 1–3 g/day | gastrointestinal disturbances with diarrhea, infection |
Calcineurin inhibitors | ||
Cyclosporine A | up to 5 mg/kg/day, trough 0.1–0.2 μg/L (whole blood) | nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, hyperglycemia, hypertension, hirsutism, gum hyperplasia and neurological disorders |
Biological agents | ||
Infliximab (intravenous) | 5 mg/kg at 0,2 and 6 weeks, followed by 5 mg/kg every 6–8 weeks | reactivation of latent tuberculosis, lymphoproliferative diseases |
Adalimumab (SubQ) | 40 mg every other week | headache, infection |
Alkylating agents | ||
Cyclophosphamide | 1–2 mg/kg/day | myelossupression, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, loss of fertility, cancer risk, infection, bladder toxicity |