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Nie Y, Zhang N, Li J, Wu D, Yang Y, Zhang L, Bai W, Jiang N, Qiao L, Huang C, Zhou S, Tian X, Li M, Zeng X, Peng L, Zhang W. Hypogammaglobulinemia and Infection Events in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases Treated with Rituximab: 10 Years Real-Life Experience. J Clin Immunol 2024; 44:179. [PMID: 39150626 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-024-01773-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate predictors of hypogammaglobulinemia (HGG) and severe infection event (SIE) in patients with autoimmune disease (AID) receiving rituximab (RTX) therapy. METHODS This was a retrospective study conducted in a tertiary medical center in China. Predictors of HGG or SIE were assessed using Cox analysis. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was applied to examine the correlation between glucocorticoid (GC) maintenance dose and SIE. RESULTS A total of 219 patients were included in this study, with a cumulative follow-up time of 698.28 person-years. Within the study population, 117 patients were diagnosed with connective tissue disease, 75 patients presented with ANCA-associated vasculitis, and 27 patients exhibited IgG4-related disease. HGG was reported in 63.3% of the patients, where an obvious decline in IgG and IgM was shown three months after RTX initiation. The rate of SIE was 7.2 per 100 person-years. An increase in the GC maintenance dose was an independent risk factor for both hypo-IgG (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.12, p = 0.003) and SIE (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.1, p = 0.004). Further RCS analysis identified 7.48 mg/d prednisone as a safe threshold dose for patients who underwent RTX treatment to avoid a significantly increased risk for SIE. CONCLUSION HGG was relatively common in RTX-treated AID patients. Patients with chronic lung disease or who were taking ≥ 7.5 mg/d prednisone during RTX treatment were at increased risk for SIE and warrant attention from physicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxue Nie
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Nianyi Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Jingna Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Yunjiao Yang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Bai
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Qiao
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Can Huang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Shuang Zhou
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Xinping Tian
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Mengtao Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zeng
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Linyi Peng
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China.
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, Beijing, China.
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Bertrand D, Deprez A, Doumen M, De Cock D, Pazmino S, Marchal A, Thelissen M, Joly J, De Meyst E, Neerinckx B, Westhovens R, Verschueren P. Patients' and rheumatologists' perceptions on dose reduction of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis. Musculoskeletal Care 2024; 22:e1893. [PMID: 38693680 DOI: 10.1002/msc.1893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The recommended dose of a rituximab course for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) consists of two infusions of 1000 mg with a 2-week interval. Evidence is growing that a lower dose could be as effective. We aimed to investigate patients' and rheumatologists' perceptions on dose reduction of rituximab. METHODS Patients with RA treated with rituximab, and rheumatologists were invited for a qualitative study via individual semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited based on purposive sampling to ensure diversity. Interviews were analysed according to the principles of grounded theory and the constant comparative method. RESULTS Sixteen patients and 13 rheumatologists were interviewed. Patients and rheumatologists perceived the benefits of rituximab dose reduction for reasons of safety and societal costs. Furthermore, available evidence for the effectiveness of lower doses was mentioned as an argument in favour, in addition to the possibility to tailor the dose based on the patients' clinical manifestations. However, patients and rheumatologists had concerns about the potential loss of effectiveness and quality of life. Moreover, some rheumatologists felt uncomfortable with dose reduction due to insufficient experience with rituximab in general. Patients and rheumatologists emphasised the importance of shared decision-making, underscoring the pivotal role of physicians in this process by explaining the reasoning behind dose reduction. CONCLUSION Although some concerns on effectiveness were perceived, both patients and rheumatologists saw potential benefits of dose reduction in terms of safety, societal costs, and application of a personalised approach. As a result, most rheumatologists and patients showed a willingness to consider dose reduction strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Bertrand
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anke Deprez
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Environment and Health, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michaël Doumen
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Rheumatology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Diederik De Cock
- Biostatistics and Medical Informatics Research Group, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussel, Belgium
| | - Sofia Pazmino
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Johan Joly
- Rheumatology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elias De Meyst
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Rheumatology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Barbara Neerinckx
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Rheumatology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - René Westhovens
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Rheumatology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patrick Verschueren
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Rheumatology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Veeken LD, Opdam MAA, Verhoef LM, Popa C, van Crevel R, den Broeder AA. Infection incidence, timing and dose dependency in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with rituximab: a retrospective cohort study. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2024; 63:1246-1250. [PMID: 37410085 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Rituximab (RTX) is a safe and effective treatment for RA. However, there are some concerns about infection risk and preliminary data suggest dose and time dependency. This study aims to determine the infection incidence in a large real-life population of RA patients using RTX, with special focus on (ultra-)low dosing and time since last infusion. METHODS RA patients treated with 1000, 500 or 200 mg RTX per cycle between 2012 and 2021 at the Sint Maartenskliniek were included in a retrospective cohort study. Patient-, disease-, treatment- and infection characteristics were retrieved from electronic health records. Infection incidence rates, dose and time relations with RTX infusion were analysed using mixed-effects Poisson regression. RESULTS Among 490 patients, we identified 819 infections in 1254 patient years. Most infections were mild and respiratory tract infections were most common. Infection incidence rates were 41, 54 and 71 per 100 patient years for doses of 200, 500 and 1000 mg. Incidence rate ratio (IRR) was significantly lower for 200 mg compared with 1000 mg (adjusted IRR 0.35, 95% CI 0.17, 0.72, P = 0.004). In patients receiving 1000 or 500 mg RTX, infections seemed to occur more frequently within the first two months after infusion compared with later on in the treatment cycle, suggesting an association with peak concentration. CONCLUSION Ultra-low dosing (200 mg) of RTX is associated with a lower risk of infections in RA. Future interventions focusing on ultra-low dosing and slow release of RTX (e.g. by subcutaneous administration) may lower infection risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara D Veeken
- Department of Rheumatology, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Merel A A Opdam
- Department of Rheumatology, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lise M Verhoef
- Department of Rheumatology, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Calin Popa
- Department of Rheumatology, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Rheumatology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Reinout van Crevel
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alfons A den Broeder
- Department of Rheumatology, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Rheumatology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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den Broeder N, Verhoef L, de Man YA, Kok MR, Thurlings R, van der Weele W, van den Bemt BJ, van den Hoogen FH, van der Maas A, den Broeder AA. Long-term clinical and radiological effectiveness and safety of ultralow doses of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis: observational extension of the REDO trial. RMD Open 2024; 10:e003659. [PMID: 38599654 PMCID: PMC11015170 DOI: 10.1136/rmdopen-2023-003659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The REDO trial (REtreatment with Rituximab in RhEmatoid arthritis: Disease Outcome after Dose Optimisation) showed similar disease activity for retreatment with ultralow doses (200 mg and 500 mg per 6 months) compared with standard low-dose rituximab (RTX, 1000 mg per 6 months). We performed an observational extension study of the REDO trial to assess long-term effectiveness. METHODS Patients from the REDO trial were followed from start of the trial to censoring in April 2021. RTX use was at the discretion of patient and rheumatologist using treat to target. The primary outcome was disease activity (disease activity score in 28 joints C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP)), analysed using a longitudinal mixed model by original randomisation and time-varying RTX dose. The original DAS28-CRP non-inferiority (NI) margin of 0.6 was used. RTX dose and persistence, safety and radiological outcomes were also assessed. FINDINGS Data from 126 of 142 REDO patients was collected from 15 December 2016, up to 30 April 2021. Drop-outs continued treatment elsewhere (n=3) or did not consent (n=13).Disease activity did not differ by original randomisation group: 1000 mg mean DAS28-CRP (95% CI) of 2.2 (2.0 to 2.5), 500 mg 2.3 (2.1 to 2.4) and 200 mg 2.4 (2.2 to 2.5). Lower time-varying RTX dose was associated with higher DAS28-CRP (0.22 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.40) higher for 200 mg/6 months compared with 1000 mg/6 months), but remained within the NI-margin. RTX persistence was 93%. Median RTX dose was 978 mg (IQR 684-1413) per year, and no association was found between RTX dose and adverse events or radiological damage. INTERPRETATION Long-term use of ultralow doses of RTX is effective in patients with rheumatoid arthritis responding to standard dose RTX.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lise Verhoef
- Rheumatology, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands
| | - Yaël A de Man
- Rheumatology, Ziekenhuisgroep Twente, Almelo, Netherlands
| | - Marc R Kok
- Rheumatology, Maasstad Ziekenhuis, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
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Mahrhofer H. [Should patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis undergoing maintenance therapy with rituximab receive cotrimoxazole prophylaxis?]. Z Rheumatol 2024; 83:122-124. [PMID: 38272971 DOI: 10.1007/s00393-023-01469-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Hartmut Mahrhofer
- Klinik für Innere Medizin, Rheumatologie, Pneumologie Nephrologie und Diabetologie. Rheumazentrum (GBA) des Landes Baden-Württemberg Europäisches Vaskulitis-Referenzzentrum (ERN-RITA), medius Klinik Kirchheim, Eugenstr. 3, 73230, Kirchheim-Teck, Deutschland.
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