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Wang C, Zhang MZ, Li LX, Yun XY, Chen CM, Wang FF, Li B. Ultra-low-dose rituximab is effective for the treatment of patients with minimal change disease - A retrospective study. J Formos Med Assoc 2024:S0929-6646(24)00289-4. [PMID: 38906733 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2024.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND PURPOSE Rituximab (RTX),an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody can effectively treat minimal change disease (MCD),with low toxicity and a reduced steroid dosage. The optimal dosage of RTX for treating MCD remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of an ultra-low-dose regimen of RTX (100 mg per week for 4 weeks) for treating MCD. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 31 patients with MCD who received RTX. Seventeen patients received ultra-low-dose RTX (ULD-RTX) therapy, and 14 patients received standard-dose RTX (SD-RTX) therapy (500 mg weekly for 4 weeks). All patients were followed up for at least 6 months. RESULTS Both groups showed significant increases in the serum albumin levels and notable decreases in the urinary protein levels in the 1st and 6th months after RTX therapy. There were no significant differences in the plasma albumin or urinary protein levels between the groups (p > 0.05). B-cell depletion was observed in all patients after 1 month of RTX administration. At 6 months after RTX treatment, the remission rate was 93% in the SD-RTX group and 88% in the ULD-RTX group (p > 0.05). The ULD-RTX therapy incurred lower costs than did the SD-RTX therapy. One patient in the SD-RTX group developed community-acquired pneumonia. CONCLUSION Ultra-low-dose RTX is effective at inducing remission in patients with MCD at a lower cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Wang
- Department of Nephrology, Institute of Nephrology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China; Hainan Clinical Research Center for Urinary System Disease, China; National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Prevention and Control, China; Department of Nephrology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Man-Zhu Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Institute of Nephrology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China; Hainan Clinical Research Center for Urinary System Disease, China; National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Prevention and Control, China
| | - Ling-Xu Li
- Department of Nephrology, Institute of Nephrology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China; Hainan Clinical Research Center for Urinary System Disease, China; National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Prevention and Control, China
| | - Xiao-Ying Yun
- Department of Nephrology, Institute of Nephrology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China; Hainan Clinical Research Center for Urinary System Disease, China; National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Prevention and Control, China
| | - Chun-Miao Chen
- Department of Nephrology, Institute of Nephrology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China; Hainan Clinical Research Center for Urinary System Disease, China; National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Prevention and Control, China
| | - Fei-Fei Wang
- Department of Nephrology, Institute of Nephrology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China; Hainan Clinical Research Center for Urinary System Disease, China; National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Prevention and Control, China
| | - Bing Li
- Department of Nephrology, Institute of Nephrology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China; Hainan Clinical Research Center for Urinary System Disease, China; National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Prevention and Control, China; Department of Nephrology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
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Perna A, Ruggiero B, Podestà MA, Perico L, Orisio S, Debiec H, Remuzzi G, Ruggenenti P. Sexual dimorphic response to rituximab treatment: A longitudinal observational study in a large cohort of patients with primary membranous nephropathy and persistent nephrotic syndrome. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:958136. [PMID: 36120314 PMCID: PMC9479107 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.958136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rituximab is one of the first-line therapies for patients with membranous nephropathy (MN) at high risk of progression towards kidney failure. We investigated whether the response to Rituximab was affected by sex and anti-PLA2R antibody levels in 204 consecutive patients (148 males and 56 females) with biopsy-proven MN who were referred to the Nephrology Unit of the Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII from March 2001 to October 2016 and managed conservatively for at least 6 months. The primary outcome was a combined endpoint of complete (proteinuria <0.3 g/24 h) or partial (proteinuria <3.0 g/24 h and >50% reduction vs. baseline) remission. Patients gave written informed consent to Rituximab treatment. The study was internally funded. No pharmaceutical company was involved. Anti-PLA2R antibodies were detectable in 125 patients (61.3%). At multivariable analyses, female gender (p = 0.0198) and lower serum creatinine levels (p = 0.0108) emerged as independent predictors of better outcome (p = 0.0198). The predictive value of proteinuria (p = 0.054) and anti-PLA2R titer (p = 0.0766) was borderline significant. Over a median (IQR) of 24.8 (12.0-36.0) months, 40 females (71.4%) progressed to the combined endpoint compared with 73 males (49.3%). Anti-PLA2R titers at baseline [127.6 (35.7-310.8) vs. 110.1 (39.9-226.7) RU/ml] and after Rituximab treatment were similar between the sexes. However, the event rate was significantly higher in females than in males [HR (95%): 2.12 (1.44-3.12), p = 0.0001]. Forty-five of the 62 patients (72.3%) with anti-PLA2R titer below the median progressed to the combined endpoint versus 35 of the 63 (55.6%) with higher titer [HR (95%): 1.97 (1.26-3.07), p < 0.0029]. The highest probability of progressing to the combined endpoint was observed in females with anti-PLA2R antibody titer below the median (86.7%), followed by females with anti-PLA2R antibody titer above the median (83.3%), males with titer below the median (68.1%), and males with titer above the median (44.4%). This trend was statistically significant (p = 0.0023). Similar findings were observed for complete remission (proteinuria <0.3 g/24 h) and after analysis adjustments for baseline serum creatinine. Thus, despite similar immunological features, females were more resilient to renal injury following Rituximab therapy. These findings will hopefully open new avenues to identify the molecular pathways underlying sex-related nephroprotective effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Perna
- Department of Renal Medicine, Centro di Ricerche Cliniche Aldo e Cale Daccò, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Barbara Ruggiero
- Department of Renal Medicine, Centro di Ricerche Cliniche Aldo e Cale Daccò, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Manuel Alfredo Podestà
- Department of Renal Medicine, Centro di Ricerche Cliniche Aldo e Cale Daccò, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Perico
- Department of Renal Medicine, Centro di Ricerche Cliniche Aldo e Cale Daccò, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Silvia Orisio
- Department of Renal Medicine, Centro di Ricerche Cliniche Aldo e Cale Daccò, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Hanna Debiec
- Sorbonne Université and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité Mixte de Recherche, Paris, France
| | - Giuseppe Remuzzi
- Department of Renal Medicine, Centro di Ricerche Cliniche Aldo e Cale Daccò, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Piero Ruggenenti
- Department of Renal Medicine, Centro di Ricerche Cliniche Aldo e Cale Daccò, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo, Italy
- Unit of Nephrology and Dialysis, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
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Abstract
Rituximab is a chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal protein used in various clinical scenarios in kidney transplant recipients. However, its evidence-based use there remains limited due to lack of controlled studies, limited sample size, short follow-up and poorly defined endpoints. Rituximab is indicated for CD20+ posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder. It may be beneficial for treating recurrent membranous nephropathy and recurrent allograft antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody vasculitis and possibly for recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Rituximab, in combination with IVIg/plasmapheresis, appears to decrease antibody level and increase the odds of transplantation in sensitized recipients. The role of Rituximab in ABOi transplant remains unclear, as similar outcomes are achieved without its use. Rituximab is not efficacious in antibody-mediated rejection/chronic antibody-mediated rejection. Strict randomized control trials are necessary to elucidate its true role in these settings.
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Abbas F, El Kossi M, Jin JK, Sharma A, Halawa A. Recurrence of primary glomerulonephritis: Review of the current evidence. World J Transplant 2017; 7:301-316. [PMID: 29312859 PMCID: PMC5743867 DOI: 10.5500/wjt.v7.i6.301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2017] [Revised: 09/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In view of the availability of new immunosuppression strategies, the recurrence of allograft glomerulonephritis (GN) are reported to be increasing with time post transplantation. Recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis of the GN recurrent disease provided a better chance to develop new strategies to deal with the GN recurrence. Recurrent GN diseases manifest with a variable course, stubborn behavior, and poor response to therapy. Some types of GN lead to rapid decline of kidney function resulting in a frustrating return to maintenance dialysis. This subgroup of aggressive diseases actually requires intensive efforts to ascertain their pathogenesis so that strategy could be implemented for better allograft survival. Epidemiology of native glomerulonephritis as the cause of end-stage renal failure and subsequent recurrence of individual glomerulonephritis after renal transplantation was evaluated using data from various registries, and pathogenesis of individual glomerulonephritis is discussed. The following review is aimed to define current protocols of the recurrent primary glomerulonephritis therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fedaey Abbas
- Department of Nephrology, Jaber El Ahmed Military Hospital, Safat 13005, Kuwait
- Faculty of Health and Science, University of Liverpool, Institute of Learning and Teaching, School of Medicine, Liverpool L69 3GB, United Kingdom
| | - Mohsen El Kossi
- Faculty of Health and Science, University of Liverpool, Institute of Learning and Teaching, School of Medicine, Liverpool L69 3GB, United Kingdom
- Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Doncaster DN2 5LT, United Kingdom
| | - Jon Kim Jin
- Faculty of Health and Science, University of Liverpool, Institute of Learning and Teaching, School of Medicine, Liverpool L69 3GB, United Kingdom
- Nottingham Children Hospital, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
| | - Ajay Sharma
- Faculty of Health and Science, University of Liverpool, Institute of Learning and Teaching, School of Medicine, Liverpool L69 3GB, United Kingdom
- Royal Liverpool University Hospitals, Liverpool L7 8XP, United Kingdom
| | - Ahmed Halawa
- Faculty of Health and Science, University of Liverpool, Institute of Learning and Teaching, School of Medicine, Liverpool L69 3GB, United Kingdom
- Department of Transplantation Surgery, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield S5 7AU, United Kingdom
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Takahashi Y, Ikezumi Y, Saitoh A. Rituximab protects podocytes and exerts anti-proteinuric effects in rat adriamycin-induced nephropathy independent of B-lymphocytes. Nephrology (Carlton) 2016; 22:49-57. [DOI: 10.1111/nep.12737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Takahashi
- Department of Pediatrics; Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital; Niigata Japan
| | - Yohei Ikezumi
- Department of Pediatrics; Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital; Niigata Japan
| | - Akihiko Saitoh
- Department of Pediatrics; Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital; Niigata Japan
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FSGS Recurrence in Adults after Renal Transplantation. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:3295618. [PMID: 27144163 PMCID: PMC4842050 DOI: 10.1155/2016/3295618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in the allograft occurs in 30–50% of patients, and it is associated with poor renal allograft survival. Major risk factors for recurrence are younger age at diagnosis, rapid progression to end-stage renal disease, white race, and the loss of previous allografts due to recurrence. Recent data support the hypothesis that circulating permeability factors play a crucial role in podocyte injury and progression of FSGS. Due to lack of controlled trials, the management of recurrent FSGS is inconsistent and highly empirical. Prophylactic and perioperative treatment with plasmapheresis and high-dose (intravenous) cyclosporine represent the main cornerstones of immunosuppressive therapy. In recent years, therapy with rituximab has shown promising results. Despite evidence of activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in recurrent FSGS and its association with progression, only limited data exist on the renoprotective role of RAS blockade in this setting. Further well designed studies are needed on pathogenesis risk factors and therapeutical options in FSGS and its recurrence after transplantation.
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Cravedi P, Kopp JB, Remuzzi G. Recent progress in the pathophysiology and treatment of FSGS recurrence. Am J Transplant 2013; 13:266-74. [PMID: 23312002 PMCID: PMC3558619 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.12045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2012] [Revised: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 11/06/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a glomerular disease characterized by proteinuria, frequent progression to end-stage renal disease, and recurrence after kidney transplantation in ∼25% of patients, which negatively impacts long-term allograft survival. Experimental studies suggest that abnormalities in T and, possibly, B cells may represent one initial pathogenic trigger, leading to podocyte injury and progressive loss. New data also support the existence of circulating permeability factors able to damage the podocytes, but no single molecule has been consistently identified as the causal pathogenic element in FSGS recurrence. Unfortunately, major progress from mechanistic studies has not translated into substantial advancements in patient treatment, with plasmapheresis (PP) and high doses of cyclosporine (CsA) remaining the mainstays of therapy. Despite consistent experimental and clinical evidence that treatment of proteinuria slows renal function decline in proteinuric nephropathies, maximal use of antiproteinuric agents such as renin angiotensin system antagonists is not routine in the management of FSGS recurrence. More recently, encouraging results have been reported with anti-CD20 depleting antibody rituximab, but further studies are needed to establish its safety/efficacy profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Cravedi
- Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Clinical Research Center for Rare Diseases “Aldo e Cele Dacco”, Villa Camozzi, Ranica, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Jeffrey B. Kopp
- Kidney Disease Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Giuseppe Remuzzi
- Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Clinical Research Center for Rare Diseases “Aldo e Cele Dacco”, Villa Camozzi, Ranica, Bergamo, Italy,Unit of Nephrology, Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
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