Long-term outcomes after early treatment with rituximab for Japanese children with cyclosporine- and steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome

Although rituximab (RTX) may be effective treatment in children with nephrotic syndrome who are resistant to cyclosporine A and steroid (CsA-SRNS), long-term outcomes after B cell depleting therapy remain unclear.

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical courses (median follow-up, 5.1 years) of six CsA-SRNS children (three boys; median age at RTX, 4.2 years) unresponsive to oral cyclosporine combined with ≥ 2 courses of intravenous methylprednisolone pulses, who received RTX within 6 months after disease onset (median 11 weeks). After initial RTX treatment (median two doses of 375 mg/m²) followed by retreatment with intravenous methylprednisolone pulses and/or high-dose prednisolone, all patients achieved complete remission at a median of 158 days. Although 17 relapses occurred in five patients during follow-up, all but one patient became steroid sensitive. Severe neutropenia and hypogammaglobulinemia developed in two and four patients, respectively. However, no life-threatening infections were identified in the cohort. At last visit (median age, 11.3 years), all patients maintained complete remission without renal insufficiency.

Although late-onset adverse events should be considered, particularly for young patients, early RTX treatment may have positive outcomes in children with CsA-SRNS in the long term.