OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether rituximab at a low dose of 250 mg/m(2) × 2 may be as effective as at higher dosages, most commonly 375 mg/m(2)×4, used in previous studies on the treatment of patients with refractory mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) vasculitis associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. METHODS: We conducted a phase 2, single-arm two-stage trial (EUDRACT n. 2008-000086-38) of low-dose rituximab in 52 patients with HCV-associated MC who were ineligible/intolerant or non-responder to antiviral therapy. The primary outcomes were response of vasculitis evaluated by the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) at months 3, 6 and 12, rate of relapses and time to relapse, and rate of adverse events. Our data were compared with those reported in 19 published studies selected among 291 reviewed in a literature search. RESULTS: The cumulative response rate (complete and partial) at month 3 was 81% in our patients, and 86% in 208 patients from studies using high-dose rituximab. The relapse rate and median time to relapse were, respectively, 41% and 6 months in our study, and 32% and 7 months in high-dose studies. Treatment-related adverse events were 11.5% in our study and 19.9% in high-dose studies. None of these differences was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Rituximab at a low dosage of 250 mg/m(2) × 2 is as effective as at higher dosages for treating MC vasculitis. This low-dose regimen may improve the cost/benefit profile of rituximab therapy for MC.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether rituximab at a low dose of 250 mg/m(2) × 2 may be as effective as at higher dosages, most commonly 375 mg/m(2)×4, used in previous studies on the treatment of patients with refractory mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) vasculitis associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. METHODS: We conducted a phase 2, single-arm two-stage trial (EUDRACT n. 2008-000086-38) of low-dose rituximab in 52 patients with HCV-associated MC who were ineligible/intolerant or non-responder to antiviral therapy. The primary outcomes were response of vasculitis evaluated by the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) at months 3, 6 and 12, rate of relapses and time to relapse, and rate of adverse events. Our data were compared with those reported in 19 published studies selected among 291 reviewed in a literature search. RESULTS: The cumulative response rate (complete and partial) at month 3 was 81% in our patients, and 86% in 208 patients from studies using high-dose rituximab. The relapse rate and median time to relapse were, respectively, 41% and 6 months in our study, and 32% and 7 months in high-dose studies. Treatment-related adverse events were 11.5% in our study and 19.9% in high-dose studies. None of these differences was statistically significant. CONCLUSION:Rituximab at a low dosage of 250 mg/m(2) × 2 is as effective as at higher dosages for treating MC vasculitis. This low-dose regimen may improve the cost/benefit profile of rituximab therapy for MC.
Authors: Caterina Vacchi; Marcella Visentini; Laura Gragnani; Paolo Fraticelli; Antonio Tavoni; Davide Filippini; Francesco Saccardo; Gianfranco Lauletta; Stefania Colantuono; Fabiola Atzeni; Pietro Pioltelli; Andreina Manfredi; Milvia Casato; Anna Linda Zignego; Giuseppe Monti; Maurizio Pietrogrande; Massimo Galli; Marco Sebastiani Journal: Intern Emerg Med Date: 2020-06-10 Impact factor: 3.397
Authors: Luca Quartuccio; Alessandra Bortoluzzi; Carlo Alberto Scirè; Antonio Marangoni; Giulia Del Frate; Elena Treppo; Laura Castelnovo; Francesco Saccardo; Roberta Zani; Marco Candela; Paolo Fraticelli; Cesare Mazzaro; Piero Renoldi; Patrizia Scaini; Davide Antonio Filippini; Marcella Visentini; Salvatore Scarpato; Dilia Giuggioli; Maria Teresa Mascia; Marco Sebastiani; Anna Linda Zignego; Gianfranco Lauletta; Massimo Fiorilli; Milvia Casato; Clodoveo Ferri; Maurizio Pietrogrande; Pietro Enrico Pioltelli; Salvatore De Vita; Giuseppe Monti; Massimo Galli Journal: Clin Rheumatol Date: 2022-09-28 Impact factor: 3.650
Authors: Ingeborg M Bajema; Jan A Bruijn; Alina Casian; Maria C Cid; Elena Csernok; Emma van Daalen; Lorraine Harper; Thomas Hauser; Mark A Little; Raashid A Luqmani; Alfred Mahr; Cristina Ponte; Alan Salama; Mårten Segelmark; Kazuo Suzuki; Jan Sznajd; Y K Onno Teng; Augusto Vaglio; Kerstin Westman; David Jayne Journal: Kidney Int Rep Date: 2017-09-21