Phase III Study in Refractory Behcet's Disease

For each corticosteroid medication, dose of the corticosteroid was first converted to a prednisone-equivalent dose. To determine the prednisone equivalent dose, the corticosteroid dose was multiplied by a conversion factor. . The total prednisone equivalent dose was calculated as the sum of the prednisone equivalent doses of all corticosteroids. Consequently, the total converted prednisone equivalent dose was used to obtain the immunosuppressive score. The key secondary efficacy variable was the change in total post-baseline immunosuppressive medication score from baseline.The score is actually the prednisoone equivalents taken by patient as calculated by conversion table. A reduction in prenisone or prenisone equivalents is a positive outcome. An increase in the number of prednisone equivalents suggests that the treatment is not efficacious or that there is disease progression. A score of 0 would be the lowest ( no steriods taken) and the upper limit is indeterminate.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is amedical imaging technique that uses light to capture micrometer-resolution, three-dimensional images from within optical scattering media (e.g., biological tissue). OCT is based on low-coherence interferometry, typically employing near-infrared light. The use of relatively long wavelength light allows it to penetrate into the scattering medium. OCT is a noninvasive procedure that uses optical interferometry to visualize the structures within the retina. Following dilation of the pupil, a light source operating at 850nm provides probe illumination which is split and detected with and without the refraction of the retinal tissues. Cross-sectional imaging is accomplished in 1.3 second by acquiring a sequence of interferometric A-scans. A false color tomogram of optical reflectivity is produced by the computer. Central foveal thickness will be the primary variable derived from OCT. A increase in thickness could translate to disease progression.

The VFQ-25 is a reliable and valid 25-item version of the 51-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ). It is especially useful in settings such as clinical trials, where interview length is a critical consideration. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better visual function.

The BDCAF scores oral and genital ulceration, skin, joint and gastrointestinal involvement, presence of fatigue and headache according to the duration of symptoms. The presence and type of large-vessel and central nervous system (CNS) involvement are documented. Eye activity was deemed present if there was a history of blurring of vision or if the eye was painful or red. . The BDCAF score was calculated by adding the score of each index and ranged between 0 and 12 A reduction in score signifies a lessening of the disease.