Efficacy of Curcumin in the Management of Chronic Anterior Uveitis

Abstract

Curcumin, obtained from rhizomes of Curcuma longa, was administered orally to patients suffering from chronic anterior uveitis (CAU) at a dose of 375 mg three times a day for 12 weeks. Of 53 patients enrolled, 32 completed the 12-week study. They were divided into two groups: one group of 18 patients received curcumin alone, whereas the other group of 14 patients, who had a strong PPD reaction, in addition received antitubercular treatment. The patients in both the groups started improving after 2 weeks of treatment. All the patients who received curcumin alone improved, whereas the group receiving antitubercular therapy along with curcumin had a response rate of 86%. Follow up of all the patients for the next 3 years indicated a recurrence rate of 55% in the first group and of 36% in the second group. Four of 18 (22%) patients in the first group and 3 of 14 patients (21%) in the second group lost their vision in the follow up period due to various complications in the eyes, e.g. vitritis, macular oedema, central venous block, cataract formation, glaucomatous optic nerve damage etc. None of the patients reported any side effect of the drug. The efficacy of curcumin and recurrences following treatment are comparable to corticosteroid therapy which is presently the only available standard treatment for this disease. The lack of side effects with curcumin is its greatest advantage compared with corticosteroids. A double blind multi-centric clinical trial with this drug in CAU is highly desirable to further validate the results of the present study.

Curcumin as “Curecumin”: From kitchen to clinic

“…In a study by Lal et al [180] involving patients with CAU, curcumin was administered orally at a dose of 375 mg three times a day for 12 weeks. Patients were segregated into two groups: 18 patients who received curcumin alone and 14 patients who, in addition to CAU, had a strong reaction to a PPD tuberculosis test and so received antitubercular treatment in addition to curcumin.…”

Experimental and clinical reports on anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects ofCurcuma longaand curcumin, an updated and comprehensive review

“…96 In patients with anterior uveitis in a clinical trial of 32 patients, CUR at a dose of 375 mg three times/day for 12 weeks improved anterior uveitis after 2 weeks of treatment. 97 In eight patients with idiopathic orbital inflammatory pseudotumor, therapy with CUR, 375 mg three times daily for 6-22 months, lead to complete remission of the symptoms. 98 Various studies demonstrated the anti-inflammatory potential of CUR by several mechanisms, including downregulating the activity of COX-2, LOX, and iNOS enzymes, inhibiting the production of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, 99 IL-1, 2, 6, 8, and 12, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP), and migration inhibitory protein as well as downregulating mitogen-activated and Janus kinases.…”

Therapeutic effect of curcumin in gastrointestinal cancers: A comprehensive review

“…The clinical trials evaluating the health‐promoting effects of curcumin are in early phases. Some promising outcomes have been shown in patients with chronic anterior uveitis (Lal et al, 1999), idiopathic inflammatory orbital pseudo tumors (Lal, Kapoor, Agrawal, Asthana, & Srimal, 2000), post‐operative inflammation (Satoskar, Shah, & Shenoy, 1986), external cancerous lesions (Kuttan, Sudheeran, & Josph, 1987), and pancreatic cancer (N Dhillon et al, 2006). Some experimental studies achieved safety and pharmacokinetics, and some of them evaluating different activities and efficacy of curcumin.…”