Fervenza FC, Abraham RS, Erickson SB, Irazabal MV, Eirin A, Specks U, Nachman PH, Bergstralh EJ, Leung N, Cosio FG, Hogan MC, Dillon JJ, Hickson LJ, Li X, Cattran DC. Rituximab therapy in idiopathic membranous nephropathy: a 2-year study.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2010;
5:2188-98. [PMID:
20705965 DOI:
10.2215/cjn.05080610]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
It was postulated that in patients with membranous nephropathy (MN), four weekly doses of Rituximab (RTX) would result in more effective B cell depletion, a higher remission rate, and maintaining the same safety profile compared with patients treated with RTX dosed at 1 g every 2 weeks. This hypothesis was supported by previous pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis showing that RTX levels in the two-dose regimen were 50% lower compared with nonproteinuric patients, which could potentially result in undertreatment.
DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS
Twenty patients with MN and proteinuria >5 g/24 h received RTX (375 mg/m(2) × 4), with re-treatment at 6 months regardless of proteinuria response. PK analysis was conducted simultaneously with immunological analyses of T and B cells to ascertain the effect of RTX on lymphocyte subpopulations.
RESULTS
Baseline proteinuria of 11.9 g/24 h decreased to 4.2 and 2.0 g/24 h at 12 and 24 months, respectively, whereas creatinine clearance increased from 72.4 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) at baseline to 88.4 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) at 24 months. Of 18 patients who completed 24-month follow-up, 4 are in complete remission, 12 are in partial remission, 1 has a limited response, and 1 patient relapsed. Serum RTX levels were similar to those obtained with two doses of RTX.
CONCLUSIONS
Four doses of RTX resulted in more effective B cell depletion, but proteinuria reduction was similar to RTX at 1 g every 2 weeks. Baseline quantification of lymphocyte subpopulations did not predict response to RTX therapy.
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