BACKGROUND In the rituximab era, the conventional International Prognostic index (IPI) lost at least in part its predictive power, while the National Comprehensive Cancer Network-IPI (NCCN-IPI) seems to be a new and valid prognosticator. However, it has not yet been evaluated in patients with localized disease and it has not been compared with the modified IPI (mIPI) of the pre-rituximab era. I...

PURPOSE To elucidate the mechanistic basis for efficacy of intrathecal rituximab. We evaluated complement activation as well as the pharmacokinetics of intraventricular rituximab in patients who participated in two phase 1 multicenter studies. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We evaluated complement activation as a candidate mediator of rituximab within the central nervous system (CNS). Complement C3 and ...

Rituximab is an anti-CD20 chimeric mAb effective for the treatment of B-NHL. It can lyse lymphoma cells in vitro through both C- and Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. The mechanism of action of rituximab in vivo is however still unclear. We have set up a new in vivo model in nonimmunodeficient mice by stable transduction of the human CD20 cDNA in the murine lymphoma line EL4. Animals injected...

BACKGROUND Rituximab has been associated with hepatitis B virus reactivation (HBV-R). However, the characteristics and scope of this association remain largely undefined. METHODS We completed a comprehensive literature search of all published rituximab-associated HBV-R cases and from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) MedWatch database. Literature and...

Immunotherapy with rituximab alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy has significantly improved the treatment outcome of B-cell lymphoma patients. Nevertheless, a subpopulation of patients does not respond to rituximab. The reason for treatment failure as well as the exact mechanism of action is still uncertain. The function of rituximab has long been associated with the partitioning of CD20 ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of repeated rituximab treatment based on the assessment of peripheral circulating memory B cells over 24 months in patients with relapsing neuromyelitis optica (NMO). DESIGN Prospective open-label study. SETTING Institutional referral center for multiple sclerosis. Patients Thirty patients with relapsing NMO or NMO spectrum disorder. Interventio...

The safety and efficacy of weekly rituximab 375 mg/m2 ( 4), given within 3 days of acute TTP admission, with standard therapy (PEX and steroids) was evaluated. Clinical outcomes were compared to historical controls (n 40) who had not received rituximab. Within the trial group, 15 of 40 required ICU admission and 15% of all cases with the highest troponin T levels on admission were ventilated. B...

Correspondence: Holger Schulz pioh – Praxis internistischer Onkologie und Häematologie Kölnerstr. g, 50226, Frechen, Germany Tel +49 02234-99959-0 Fax +49 02234-99959-25 Email [email protected] Abstract: Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeting the B cell antigen CD20. Since its first approval for clinical use in 1997, rituximab has become an inherent part of the treatment of CD20-po...

3. Thatayatikom A, White AJ. Rituximab: A promising therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus. Autoimmun Rev. 2006;5:18--24. 4. Boye J, Elter T, Engert A. An overview of the current clinical use of the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab. Ann Oncol. 2003;14:520--35. 5. Cohen SB. Targeting the B cell in rheumatoid arthritis. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2010;24:553--63. 6. Fatourechi MM, el-...

Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody directed against the CD20 antigen expressed on B cells and widely used in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis. There is a growing amount of literature which suggests that rituximab may be useful for inflammatory ocular diseases and intraocular lymphoma. Few cases have been reported on treatment of refractory scleritis, peripherativ...