Not to turn this into an anti-CD20 thread, but...
Ann Intern Med 2000 Aug 15;133(4):275-9 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Anti-CD20 chimeric monoclonal antibody treatment of refractory immune-mediated thrombocytopenia in a patient with chronic graft-versus-host disease.
Ratanatharathorn V, Carson E, Reynolds C, Ayash LJ, Levine J, Yanik G, Silver SM, Ferrara JL, Uberti JP
Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor 48109, USA. vratanat@umich.edu
BACKGROUND: Autoimmune thrombocytopenia in chronic graft-versus-host disease may represent an instance of B-cell dysregulation leading to clinical disease. OBJECTIVE: To attempt to treat refractory immune-mediated thrombocytopenia in a patient with chronic graft-versus-host disease by using anti-CD20 chimeric monoclonal antibody. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Academic medical center. PATIENT: A patient with chronic graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic peripheral blood stem-cell transplantation who had severe refractory immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. INTERVENTION: Weekly infusion of rituximab, 375 mg/m2, for 4 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: Platelet count, CD3+ cell count, and CD19+ cell count. RESULTS: Rituximab therapy resulted in marked depletion of B cells in the peripheral blood and decreased levels of platelet-associated antibody. The increase in platelet count persisted despite tapering and discontinuation of immunosuppressive therapy for chronic graft-versus-host disease. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of rituximab for the treatment of immune-mediated thrombocytopenia suggests that this drug may have activity in other autoimmune diseases or chronic graft-versus-host disease.
PMID: 10929168, UI: 20383460 |
