Erschienen in:
01.05.2012 | Original Article
Long-term efficacy of anti-CD20 antibodies in refractory lupus nephritis
verfasst von:
C Alejandro Arce-Salinas, Felipe Rodríguez-García, J Iván Gómez-Vargas
Erschienen in:
Rheumatology International
|
Ausgabe 5/2012
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Abstract
Eight patients with refractory lupus nephritis received rituximab after failing standard sequential therapy and were followed for 104 weeks after the infusion. One patient died secondary to a complicated pregnancy but had stable renal function. Three patients received a re-infusion of rituximab approximately 12 months apart due to a renal flare; during the second year of follow-up, those patients progressed toward ESRD. The four remaining patients demonstrated improvements in SLEDAI score, CrCl, and proteinuria with maintenance of their standard immunosuppressive therapy and did not require a re-infusion of rituximab. Although rituximab as induction therapy for refractory lupus nephritis has been shown to have a good response, its efficacy in long-term assessments demonstrates disappointing results.