Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Supervisor

Dr. William Hodge

Abstract

Idiopathic non-infectious uveitis is the spontaneous inflammation of the eye, which can lead to blindness if not treated correctly. Due to long-term side effects of corticosteroids, 4 classes of off-label immunosuppressive treatments are sometimes used (alkylating agents, inhibitors of T-lymphocyte signalling, antimetabolites and biological modifiers). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of different treatment classes on uveitis patients with similar characteristics. Results of the systematic review concurred with the conclusions from the meta-analysis, which found that all immunosuppressive treatments improved patient vision, with a statistically significant change in logMAR of -0.11 (95% CI of -0.152 to -0.061, p=0). The subgroup analysis found antimetabolites and T-cell inhibitors improved patient vision which was statistically significant, with antimetabolites showing a better change in logMAR of -0.131 (95% CI -0.211 to -0.050, p=0.001. I2=0%). These findings could inform policy and help develop concrete guidelines for treating uveitis patients.

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