TY - JOUR
T1 - Long-term efficacy of maintenance therapy with Rituximab for IgG4-related disease
AU - Campochiaro, Corrado
AU - Della-Torre, Emanuel
AU - Lanzillotta, Marco
AU - Bozzolo, Enrica
AU - Baldissera, Elena
AU - Milani, Raffaella
AU - Arcidiacono, Paolo Giorgio
AU - Crippa, Stefano
AU - Falconi, Massimo
AU - Dagna, Lorenzo
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by a “ Fondazione Italiana per la Ricerca sull'Artrite (FIRA Onlus) (2014) ” award to EDT, and by a “ Giovani Ricercatori Research Grant (2018) ” award to EDT by “ Cariplo Foundation ”. EDT received support from the “ Collegio Ghislieri ” (Pavia, Italy).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 European Federation of Internal Medicine
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/4
Y1 - 2020/4
N2 - Background: IgG4-Related Disease (IgG4-RD) promptly responds to glucocorticoids but relapses in most patients. Rituximab (RTX) represents a promising strategy to avoid IgG4-RD flares but its administration for maintaining disease remission has never been assessed in terms of optimal timing of infusion, dosage, and duration of treatment. In the present study we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RTX for maintenance of IgG4-RD remission. Methods: Fourteen patients with IgG4-RD were treated with RTX as induction of remission therapy at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy. The cohort was then divided into two study groups: patients re-treated only in case of disease relapse (Group 1, n = 7), and patients regularly re-treated with RTX every 6 months for maintenance therapy (Group 2, n = 7). Data on free-relapse rate and adverse events were collected and retrospectively analysed. Results: Median follow-up time and baseline clinical-serological features were similar between Group 1 and 2 (p > 0.05). The free relapse rate 18 months after induction of remission treatment was significantly lower in Group 1 (29%) than in Group 2 (100%) (p = 0.006). Infectious complications developed in 6/14 patients (3 in Group 1 and 3 in Group 2). Conclusion: Administration of RTX every 6 months as maintenance of remission therapy prevents IgG4-RD flares.
AB - Background: IgG4-Related Disease (IgG4-RD) promptly responds to glucocorticoids but relapses in most patients. Rituximab (RTX) represents a promising strategy to avoid IgG4-RD flares but its administration for maintaining disease remission has never been assessed in terms of optimal timing of infusion, dosage, and duration of treatment. In the present study we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RTX for maintenance of IgG4-RD remission. Methods: Fourteen patients with IgG4-RD were treated with RTX as induction of remission therapy at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy. The cohort was then divided into two study groups: patients re-treated only in case of disease relapse (Group 1, n = 7), and patients regularly re-treated with RTX every 6 months for maintenance therapy (Group 2, n = 7). Data on free-relapse rate and adverse events were collected and retrospectively analysed. Results: Median follow-up time and baseline clinical-serological features were similar between Group 1 and 2 (p > 0.05). The free relapse rate 18 months after induction of remission treatment was significantly lower in Group 1 (29%) than in Group 2 (100%) (p = 0.006). Infectious complications developed in 6/14 patients (3 in Group 1 and 3 in Group 2). Conclusion: Administration of RTX every 6 months as maintenance of remission therapy prevents IgG4-RD flares.
KW - B cells
KW - IgG4
KW - IgG4-related disease
KW - Rituximab
KW - Therapy
KW - Treatment
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ejim.2019.12.029
DO - 10.1016/j.ejim.2019.12.029
M3 - Article
C2 - 31901297
AN - SCOPUS:85077393731
VL - 74
SP - 92
EP - 98
JO - European Journal of Internal Medicine
JF - European Journal of Internal Medicine
SN - 0953-6205
ER -