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Athni TS, Barmettler S. Hypogammaglobulinemia, late-onset neutropenia, and infections following rituximab. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2023:S1081-1206(23)00042-X. [PMID: 36706910 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2023.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Rituximab is a chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that targets CD20-expressing B lymphocytes, has a well-defined efficacy and safety profile, and is broadly used to treat a wide array of diseases. In this review, we cover the mechanism of action of rituximab and focus on hypogammaglobulinemia and late-onset neutropenia-2 immune effects secondary to rituximab-and subsequent infection. We review risk factors and highlight key considerations for immunologic monitoring and clinical management of rituximab-induced secondary immune deficiencies. In patients treated with rituximab, monitoring for hypogammaglobulinemia and infections may help to identify the subset of patients at high risk for developing poor B cell reconstitution, subsequent infections, and adverse complications. These patients may benefit from early interventions such as vaccination, antibacterial prophylaxis, and immunoglobulin replacement therapy. Systematic evaluation of immunoglobulin levels and peripheral B cell counts by flow cytometry, both at baseline and periodically after therapy, is recommended for monitoring. In addition, in those patients with prolonged hypogammaglobulinemia and increased infections after rituximab use, immunologic evaluation for inborn errors of immunity may be warranted to further risk stratification, increase monitoring, and assist in therapeutic decision-making. As the immunologic effects of rituximab are further elucidated, personalized approaches to minimize the risk of adverse reactions while maximizing benefit will allow for improved care of patients with decreased morbidity and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Barmettler
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
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2
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Kholod O, Basket W, Liu D, Mitchem J, Kaifi J, Dooley L, Shyu CR. Identification of Immuno-Targeted Combination Therapies Using Explanatory Subgroup Discovery for Cancer Patients with EGFR Wild-Type Gene. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194759. [PMID: 36230688 PMCID: PMC9564073 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity are characteristic features of cancer patients. To tackle patients’ heterogeneity, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represent some the most promising therapeutic approaches. However, approximately 50% of cancer patients that are eligible for treatment with ICIs do not respond well, especially patients with no targetable mutations. Over the years, multiple patient stratification techniques have been developed to identify homogenous patient subgroups, although matching a patient subgroup to a treatment option that can improve patients’ health outcomes remains a challenging task. (2) Methods: We extended our Subgroup Discovery algorithm to identify patient subpopulations that could potentially benefit from immuno-targeted combination therapies in four cancer types: head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSC), lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), lung squamous carcinoma (LUSC), and skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM). We employed the proportional odds model to identify significant drug targets and the corresponding compounds that increased the likelihood of stable disease versus progressive disease in cancer patients with the EGFR wild-type (WT) gene. (3) Results: Our pipeline identified six significant drug targets and thirteen specific compounds for cancer patients with the EGFR WT gene. Three out of six drug targets—FCGR2B, IGF1R, and KIT—substantially increased the odds of having stable disease versus progressive disease. Progression-free survival (PFS) of more than 6 months was a common feature among the investigated subgroups. (4) Conclusions: Our approach could help to better select responders for immuno-targeted combination therapies and improve health outcomes for cancer patients with no targetable mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olha Kholod
- MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - William Basket
- MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Danlu Liu
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Jonathan Mitchem
- MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
| | - Jussuf Kaifi
- MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Laura Dooley
- Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Chi-Ren Shyu
- MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Correspondence:
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3
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Gkrania-Klotsas E, Kumararatne DS. Serious Infectious Complications After Rituximab Therapy in Patients With Autoimmunity: Is This the Final Word? Clin Infect Dis 2021; 72:738-742. [PMID: 32067045 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Effrossyni Gkrania-Klotsas
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Clinical Immunology, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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4
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Garcia-Montoya L, Villota-Eraso C, Yusof MYM, Vital EM, Emery P. Lessons for rituximab therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. THE LANCET. RHEUMATOLOGY 2020; 2:e497-e509. [PMID: 38273611 DOI: 10.1016/s2665-9913(20)30033-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
B-cell depletion therapy is an effective option for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis but often does not result in complete B-cell depletion. Complete B-cell depletion after rituximab treatment is associated with clinical response, and this outcome leads to long-term maintenance of therapy. Low pretreatment plasmablast counts, concomitant treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, no smoking exposure, the presence of anticitrullinated protein antibodies or rheumatoid factor, and a low interferon signature are all predictive of complete B-cell depletion and clinical response. Half of patients who initially show complete B-cell depletion and clinical response after rituximab treatment eventually lose responsiveness with further infusions. However three-quarters of these patients regain this outcome in their following treatment cycle, suggesting that loss of response is reversible and that patients can still benefit from rituximab retreatment. The efficacy of reduced doses of rituximab is being investigated, but preliminary results suggest that these strategies are best used for maintenance therapy, particularly in patients who suffer adverse events or who are at a high risk of infection. Infusion-related reactions are the most common adverse events associated with rituximab treatment, and monitoring of IgG concentrations is crucial, as low concentrations are correlated with an increased risk of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Garcia-Montoya
- Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK; National Institute for Health Research Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
| | | | - Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof
- Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK; National Institute for Health Research Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
| | - Edward M Vital
- Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK; National Institute for Health Research Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
| | - Paul Emery
- Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK; National Institute for Health Research Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
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5
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Whiting ZG, Doerre T. Diagnosis of Culture-Negative Septic Arthritis with Polymerase Chain Reaction in an Immunosuppressed Patient: A Case Report. JBJS Case Connect 2020; 10:e2000057. [PMID: 32910594 DOI: 10.2106/jbjs.cc.20.00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
CASE We present a 23-year-old woman on immunosuppressive therapy with polyarticular, culture-negative septic arthritis. She underwent irrigation and debridement with empiric antibiotic therapy but had recurrence of septic arthritis despite treatment. Polymerase chain reaction testing eventually identified Ureaplasma as the causative organism. She was successfully treated with an extended course of organism-specific antibiotics. CONCLUSION More patients are being treated with immune modulating therapies. Immunosuppressed patients are at risk for atypical infections and may have different presentations than immunocompetent patients. Newer diagnostic modalities can help identify causative organisms and direct treatment in the case of negative cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachariah G Whiting
- 1The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia 2Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia
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6
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Factors influencing the choice of biologic therapy following Rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A retrospective study using propensity score. Joint Bone Spine 2020; 87:43-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2019.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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7
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Cañete JD, Hernández MV, Sanmartí R. Safety profile of biological therapies for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2017; 17:1089-1103. [DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2017.1346078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan D. Cañete
- Arthritis Unit, Rheumatology Department, Hospital Clinic and IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ma Victoria Hernández
- Arthritis Unit, Rheumatology Department, Hospital Clinic and IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raimon Sanmartí
- Arthritis Unit, Rheumatology Department, Hospital Clinic and IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
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8
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Harrold LR, Reed GW, Karki C, Magner R, Shewade A, John A, Kremer JM, Greenberg JD. Risk of Infection Associated With Subsequent Biologic Agent Use After Rituximab: Results From a National Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient Registry. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2017; 68:1888-1893. [PMID: 27111064 PMCID: PMC5132134 DOI: 10.1002/acr.22912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 03/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective To assess whether the time between the last rituximab infusion and initiation of a different biologic agent influenced infection risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Patients with RA who newly initiated rituximab within the Consortium of Rheumatology Researchers of North America registry were included if they switched to a nonrituximab biologic agent and had ≥1 followup visit within 12 months of switching. Patients were categorized by duration of time between their last rituximab infusion and initiation of a subsequent biologic agent (≤5 months, 6–11 months, and ≥12 months). The primary outcome was time to first infectious event. Adjusted Cox regression models estimated the association between time to starting a subsequent biologic agent and infection. Results A total of 44 overall infections (7 serious, 37 nonserious) were reported during the 12‐month followup in the 215 patients included in this analysis (104 switched at ≤5 months, 67 at 6–11 months, and 44 at ≥12 months). Median (interquartile range) time to infection was 4 (2–5) months. Infection rates per patient‐year in the ≤5‐month, 6–11‐month, and ≥12‐month groups were 0.34 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.22–0.52), 0.30 (95% CI 0.17–0.52), and 0.41 (95% CI 0.22–0.77), respectively. After adjustment, time to switch to a subsequent biologic agent was not associated with infection, which remained unchanged when number and rate of rituximab retreatments were included in the models. Conclusion In this real‐world cohort of patients with RA, infection rates ranged from 0.30 to 0.41 per patient‐year, with no significant difference in the rate between patients who initiated a subsequent biologic agent earlier versus later after rituximab treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie R Harrold
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, and Corrona, Southborough, Massachusetts
| | - George W Reed
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, and Corrona, Southborough, Massachusetts
| | | | - Robert Magner
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
| | | | - Ani John
- Genentech, South San Francisco, California
| | - Joel M Kremer
- Albany Medical College and the Center for Rheumatology, Albany, New York
| | - Jeffrey D Greenberg
- Corrona, Southborough, Massachusetts, and New York University School of Medicine, New York
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Cabral VP, Andrade CAFD, Passos SRL, Martins MDFM, Hökerberg YHM. Infecções graves em pacientes com artrite reumatoide em uso de anakinra, rituximab ou abatacept: revisão sistemática de estudos observacionais. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE REUMATOLOGIA 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rbr.2016.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
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10
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Cabral VP, Andrade CAFD, Passos SRL, Martins MDFM, Hökerberg YHM. Severe infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis taking anakinra, rituximab, or abatacept: a systematic review of observational studies. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE REUMATOLOGIA 2016; 56:543-550. [PMID: 27914602 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbre.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A question is raised about an increased risk of severe infection from the use of biological drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This systematic review of observational studies aimed at assessing the risk of severe infection associated with the use of anakinra, rituximab, and abatacept in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Scirus, Cochrane, Exerpta Medica Database, Scielo, and Lilacs up to July 2010. Severe infections were defined as those life-threatening ones in need of the use of parenteral antibiotics or of hospitalization. Longitudinal observational studies were selected without language restriction, involving adult patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and who used anakinra, rituximab, or abatacept. In four studies related to anakinra, 129 (5.1%) severe infections were related in 2896 patients, of which three died. With respect to rituximab, two studies reported 72 (5.9%) severe infections in 1224 patients, of which two died. Abatacept was evaluated in only one study in which 25 (2.4%) severe infections were reported in 1046 patients. The main site of infection for these three drugs was the respiratory tract. One possible explanation for the high frequency of severe infections associated with anakinra may be the longer follow-up time in the selected studies. The high frequency of severe infections associated with rituximab could be credited to the less strict inclusion criteria for the patients studied. Therefore, infection monitoring should be cautious in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in use of these three drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanderlea Poeys Cabral
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas (INI), Comissão de Controle de Infecção Hospitalar, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carlos Augusto Ferreira de Andrade
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas (INI), Laboratório de Epidemiologia Clínica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Sonia Regina Lambert Passos
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas (INI), Laboratório de Epidemiologia Clínica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Maria de Fátima Moreira Martins
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Instituto de Comunicação e Informação Científica e Tecnológica em Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Yara Hahr Marques Hökerberg
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas (INI), Laboratório de Epidemiologia Clínica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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11
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Verschueren P. Should rheumatoid arthritis patients preferentially be treated with tocilizumab after rituximab failure? Rheumatology (Oxford) 2016; 55:197-8. [DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kev375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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12
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Abstract
Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody directed at the CD20 molecule on the surfaces of some but not all B cells. It depletes almost all peripheral B cells, but other niches of B cells are variably depleted, including synovium. Its mechanism of action in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is only partially understood. Rituximab was efficacious in clinical trials of patients with RA, including those who are methotrexate naïve, those with an incomplete response to methotrexate, and those with an incomplete response to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. The need for a concomitant traditional disease-modifying drug, the optimal dose of rituximab, and the optimal interval for retreatment remain somewhat uncertain. Rituximab seems to be most efficacious in seropositive patients and those with an incomplete response to only one tumor necrosis factor inhibitor. Rituximab has a reasonable safety profile, with a small risk of serious infectious events, which is stable over time and repeat courses. Opportunistic infections are rare. Reactivation of hepatitis B remains a concern. The possible association of rituximab and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy may still require vigilance. Malignancies and cardiovascular events do not appear to be increased. Infusion reactions are more likely with the initial infusion, and are usually mild. Rituximab may cause hypogammaglobulinemia, but any risk of subsequent risk of increased infectious events is not yet well established. Before initiating rituximab, patient screening for hypersensitivity to murine proteins, infections, congestive heart failure, pregnancy, and hypogammaglobulinemia is imperative. Vaccinations should be administered prior to treatment whenever possible. Rituximab has been a significant addition to the rheumatologists' armamentarium for the treatment of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edward Keystone
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- The Rebecca MacDonald Centre for Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
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13
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Walker UA, Jaeger VK, Chatzidionysiou K, Hetland ML, Hauge EM, Pavelka K, Nordström DC, Canhão H, Tomšič M, van Vollenhoven R, Gabay C. Rituximab done: what's next in rheumatoid arthritis? A European observational longitudinal study assessing the effectiveness of biologics after rituximab treatment in rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2015; 55:230-6. [PMID: 26316581 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kev297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare the effectiveness of biologics after rituximab (RTX) treatment in RA. METHODS The effectiveness of TNF-α inhibitors (TNFi), abatacept (ABA) or tocilizumab (TCZ) was examined in patients previously treated with RTX using clinical data collected in the Collaborative Registries for the Evaluation of Rituximab in RA Collaborative registry. Patients had stopped RTX 6 months or less prior to the new biologic and had a baseline visit within 21 days of starting the new biologic. RESULTS Two hundred and sixty-five patients were analysed after 6 months of treatment. Patients on TCZ (n = 86) had a greater decline of DAS28-ESR and clinical disease activity index than patients on TNFi (n = 89) or ABA (n = 90). This effect was also seen after adjusting for baseline prednisone use and the number of previous biologics. The mean DAS28-ESR scores in patients on TCZ were 1.0 (95% CI: 0.2, 1.7) and 1.8 (95% CI: 1.0, 2.5) points lower than in patients on TNFi or ABA, respectively. In patients on TCZ, the clinical disease activity index was 9.4 (95% CI: 1.7, 16.1) and 8.1 (95% CI: 0.9, 15.3) points lower than on TNFi and ABA, respectively. Patients on TCZ more frequently had good EULAR responses than patients on TNFi or ABA (66 vs 31 vs 14%, P < 0.001). The HAQ disability index improved in all treatment groups (P < 0.001), but did not differ between biologics, as did drug retention rates. The reasons for discontinuation of RTX and the number of previous biologics had no influence on outcomes. CONCLUSION In this observational cohort of patients who discontinued RTX, TCZ provided a better control of RA than ABA or TNFi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich A Walker
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland,
| | - Veronika K Jaeger
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Katerina Chatzidionysiou
- Unit for Clinical Therapy Research in Inflammatory Diseases, The Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Merete L Hetland
- DANBIO, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Disease, Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
| | - Ellen-Margrethe Hauge
- DANBIO, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Disease, Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Department of Rheumatology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Karel Pavelka
- Institute of Rheumatology and Clinic of Rheumatology 1st Medical Faculty Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dan C Nordström
- ROB-FIN, Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Helena Canhão
- Rheumatology Research Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal on behalf of the Rheumatic Diseases Portugal Register
| | - Matija Tomšič
- BioRx.si, University Medical Center, Ljubljana, Slovenia and
| | - Ronald van Vollenhoven
- Unit for Clinical Therapy Research in Inflammatory Diseases, The Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cem Gabay
- University Hospitals of Geneva/SCQM Registry, Geneva, Switzerland
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Septic arthritis in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed hosts. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 2015; 29:275-89. [PMID: 26362744 DOI: 10.1016/j.berh.2015.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Septic arthritis has long been considered an orthopedic emergency. Historically, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Staphylococcus aureus have been the most common causes of septic arthritis worldwide but in the modern era of biological therapy and extensive use of prosthetic joint replacements, the spectrum of microbiological causes of septic arthritis has widened considerably. There are also new approaches to diagnosis but therapy remains a challenge, with a need for careful consideration of a combined medical and surgical approach in most cases.
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15
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Salmon JH, Gottenberg JE, Ravaud P, Cantagrel A, Combe B, Flipo RM, Schaeverbeke T, Houvenagel E, Gaudin P, Loeuille D, Rist S, Dougados M, Sibilia J, Le Loët X, Meyer O, Solau-Gervais E, Marcelli C, Bardin T, Pane I, Baron G, Perrodeau E, Mariette X. Predictive risk factors of serious infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with abatacept in common practice: results from the Orencia and Rheumatoid Arthritis (ORA) registry. Ann Rheum Dis 2015; 75:1108-13. [PMID: 26048170 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-207362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Little data are available regarding the rate and predicting factors of serious infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with abatacept (ABA) in daily practice. We therefore addressed this issue using real-life data from the Orencia and Rheumatoid Arthritis (ORA) registry. METHODS ORA is an independent 5-year prospective registry promoted by the French Society of Rheumatology that includes patients with RA treated with ABA. At baseline, 3 months, 6 months and every 6 months or at disease relapse, during 5 years, standardised information is prospectively collected by trained clinical nurses. A serious infection was defined as an infection occurring during treatment with ABA or during the 3 months following withdrawal of ABA without any initiation of a new biologic and requiring hospitalisation and/or intravenous antibiotics and/or resulting in death. RESULTS Baseline characteristics and comorbidities: among the 976 patients included with a follow-up of at least 3 months (total follow-up of 1903 patient-years), 78 serious infections occurred in 69 patients (4.1/100 patient-years). Predicting factors of serious infections: on univariate analysis, an older age, history of previous serious or recurrent infections, diabetes and a lower number of previous anti-tumour necrosis factor were associated with a higher risk of serious infections. On multivariate analysis, only age (HR per 10-year increase 1.44, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.76, p=0.001) and history of previous serious or recurrent infections (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.18 to 3.20, p=0.009) were significantly associated with a higher risk of serious infections. CONCLUSIONS In common practice, patients treated with ABA had more comorbidities than in clinical trials and serious infections were slightly more frequently observed. In the ORA registry, predictive risk factors of serious infections include age and history of serious infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- J H Salmon
- Rheumatology Department, CHU Reims, Reims, France
| | - J E Gottenberg
- Rheumatology Department, National Center for Rare Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Immunopathologie et Chimie Thérapeutique/Laboratory of Excellence Medalis, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - P Ravaud
- Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Statistiques, INSERM U1153, Centre d'Épidémiologie Clinique, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - A Cantagrel
- Rheumatology Center, Purpan Hospital, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
| | - B Combe
- Rheumatology Department, Lapeyronie University Hospital, Montpellier I University, Montpellier, France
| | - R M Flipo
- Rheumatology Department, CHRU de Lille, Université de Lille-2, Lille, France
| | | | - E Houvenagel
- Rheumatology Department, CHU Lomme, Lomme, France
| | - P Gaudin
- Rheumatology Department, CHU Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - D Loeuille
- Rheumatology Department, CHU Nancy, Nancy, France
| | - S Rist
- Rheumatology Department, CHR Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - M Dougados
- Medicine Faculty, Paris-Descartes University, Paris, UPRES-EA 4058, Cochin Hospital, Rheumatology B, Paris, France
| | - J Sibilia
- Rheumatology department, National Center for Rare Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, INSERM UMRS_1109, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - X Le Loët
- Rheumatology Department, Rouen University Hospital & Inserm U905, Rouen, France
| | - O Meyer
- Rheumatology Department, Groupe Hospitalier Bichat-Claude Bernard (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | | | - C Marcelli
- Rheumatology Department, CHU Caen, Caen, France
| | - T Bardin
- Rheumatology Department, Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, France
| | - I Pane
- Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Statistiques, INSERM U1153, Centre d'Épidémiologie Clinique, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - G Baron
- Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Statistiques, INSERM U1153, Centre d'Épidémiologie Clinique, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - E Perrodeau
- Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Statistiques, INSERM U1153, Centre d'Épidémiologie Clinique, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - X Mariette
- Rheumatology Department, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Sud, AP-HP, INSERM U1184, IMVA: Center of Immunology of Viral Infections and Autoimmune Diseases, Paris, France
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Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of articular joint structures. RA is a systemic condition that often affects multiple organs, including the heart, lungs, and kidneys. Pulmonary complications of RA are relatively common and include pleural effusion, rheumatoid nodules, bronchiectasis, obliterative bronchiolitis, and opportunistic infections. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common occurrence in patients with RA, and can range in severity from an asymptomatic incidental finding to a rapidly progressing life-threatening event. Usual interstitial pneumonia and non-specific interstitial pneumonia are the two most common patterns, though others have been reported. Various disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs-in particular, methotrexate and the tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors-have been associated with RA-ILD in numerous case reports and case series, though it is often difficult to distinguish association from causality. Treatment for RA-ILD typically involves the use of high-dose corticosteroids, often in conjunction with alternative immunosuppressant agents such as azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil, and outcomes vary widely depending on the initial pattern of lung disease. Additional research into the mechanisms driving RA-ILD is needed to guide future therapy.
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Geraldino-Pardilla L, Bathon JM. Management of rheumatoid arthritis: synovitis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-09138-1.00097-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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Roberts DM, Jones RB, Smith RM, Alberici F, Kumaratne DS, Burns S, Jayne DRW. Rituximab-associated hypogammaglobulinemia: incidence, predictors and outcomes in patients with multi-system autoimmune disease. J Autoimmun 2014; 57:60-5. [PMID: 25556904 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2014.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Revised: 11/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Rituximab is a B cell depleting monoclonal antibody used to treat lymphoma and autoimmune disease. Hypogammaglobulinemia has occurred after rituximab for lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis but data are scarce for other autoimmune indications. This study describes the incidence and severity of hypogammaglobulinemia in patients receiving rituximab for small vessel vasculitis and other multi-system autoimmune diseases. Predictors for and clinical outcomes of hypogammaglobulinemia were explored. We conducted a retrospective study in a tertiary referral specialist clinic. The severity of hypogammaglobulinemia was categorized by the nadir serum IgG concentration measured during clinical care. We identified 288 patients who received rituximab; 243 were eligible for inclusion with median follow up of 42 months. 26% were IgG hypogammaglobulinemic at the time that rituximab was initiated and 56% had IgG hypogammaglobulinemia during follow-up (5-6.9 g/L in 30%, 3-4.9 g/L in 22% and <3 g/L in 4%); IgM ≤0.3 g/L in 58%. The nadir IgG was non-sustained in 50% of cases with moderate/severe hypogammaglobulinemia. A weak association was noted between prior cyclophosphamide exposure and nadir IgG concentration, but not cumulative rituximab dose. IgG concentrations prior to and at the time of rituximab correlated with the nadir IgG post rituximab. IgG replacement was initiated because of recurrent infection in 12 (4.2%) patients and a lower IgG increased the odds ratio of receiving IgG replacement. Rituximab is associated with an increased risk of hypogammaglobulinemia but recovery of IgG level can occur. IgG monitoring may be useful for patients receiving rituximab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren M Roberts
- Vasculitis and Lupus Clinic, Box 57, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK; School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Butterfield Street, Herston, Queensland, 4006, Australia.
| | - Rachel B Jones
- Vasculitis and Lupus Clinic, Box 57, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
| | - Rona M Smith
- Vasculitis and Lupus Clinic, Box 57, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
| | - Federico Alberici
- Vasculitis and Lupus Clinic, Box 57, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, Parma 43126, Italy; Department of Nephrology, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, Parma 43126, Italy
| | - Dinakantha S Kumaratne
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Box 109, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
| | - Stella Burns
- Vasculitis and Lupus Clinic, Box 57, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
| | - David R W Jayne
- Vasculitis and Lupus Clinic, Box 57, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
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Rubbert-Roth A, Burmester G, Dörner T, Gause A. Empfehlungen zum Einsatz von Rituximab bei Patienten mit rheumatoider Arthritis. Z Rheumatol 2014; 73:165-74. [DOI: 10.1007/s00393-013-1238-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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21
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Das S, Vital EM, Horton S, Bryer D, El-Sherbiny Y, Rawstron AC, Ponchel F, Emery P, Buch MH. Abatacept or tocilizumab after rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis? An exploratory study suggests non-response to rituximab is associated with persistently high IL-6 and better clinical response to IL-6 blocking therapy. Ann Rheum Dis 2014; 73:909-12. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-204417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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22
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Härle P. [Combination of biologics : where do we stand?]. Z Rheumatol 2013; 72:878-84. [PMID: 24193190 DOI: 10.1007/s00393-013-1141-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Data with respect to safety and therapeutic efficacy for the combination of biological DMARDs is scarce and inhomogeneous in order to make final conclusions. To this end, data to biologic combinations is disappointing due to relatively low therapeutic efficacy and partially enhanced rates of severe infectious events. METHODS Combining biologics is an option only in very special situations (RTX plus TNFi). In addition, the relation of financial effort to therapeutic efficacy is questionable, especially in the situation of numerous drug options (anti-cytokine principle, T-cell inhibition, B-cell depletion) and therapeutic strategies of combining biologics with DMARDs. Generally speaking, combinations of biological should only be used in clinical trials. New drugs influencing intracellular signaling pathways (small molecules) are going to be approved or are already approved by the drug agencies, thus, adding to the existing armamentarium. Furthermore, combinations with these new molecules are going to be interesting. CONCLUSIONS This review summarizes the available studies concerning combination of biologicals in a tabular fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Härle
- Klinik für Rheumatologie, Klinische Immunologie und Physikalische Therapie, Katholisches Klinikum Mainz, An der Goldgrube 11, 55131, Mainz, Deutschland,
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Cohen M, Omair MA, Keystone EC. Monoclonal antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.2217/ijr.13.52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Jain A, Singh JA. Harms of TNF inhibitors in rheumatic diseases: a focused review of the literature. Immunotherapy 2013; 5:265-99. [PMID: 23444956 DOI: 10.2217/imt.13.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A focused review of the risk of harms of anti-TNF inhibitors in adult rheumatic diseases was performed. An increased risk of serious infections, tuberculosis and other opportunistic infections has been reported across various studies, with etanercept appearing to have a modestly better safety profile in terms of tuberculosis and opportunistic infections, and infliximab posing a higher risk of serious infections. Evidence suggests no increase in risk of cancer with anti-TNF biologics, but there is an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer. Elderly patients appear to be at increased risk of incident or worsening heart failure with anti-TNF biologic use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Jain
- Department of Medicine at School of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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Abatacept use after failure of multiple biologic agents in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis. J Clin Rheumatol 2013. [PMID: 23188208 DOI: 10.1097/rhu.0b013e3182784833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Greenwald MW, Shergy WJ, Kaine JL, Sweetser MT, Gilder K, Linnik MD. Evaluation of the safety of rituximab in combination with a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor and methotrexate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis: results from a randomized controlled trial. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 63:622-32. [PMID: 21360491 DOI: 10.1002/art.30194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the safety of rituximab in combination with a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor and methotrexate (MTX) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS Adult patients with active RA (≥ 5 swollen and ≥ 5 tender joints) receiving a stable dose of MTX (10-25 mg/week) and stable dose of TNF inhibitor (etanercept or adalimumab) for ≥ 12 weeks were randomized 2:1 to receive one course of rituximab or placebo, given intravenously at a dose of 2 × 500 mg. The primary end point was the proportion of patients developing ≥ 1 serious infection through week 24. RESULTS Fifty-one patients were treated with either rituximab or placebo in combination with background MTX and a TNF inhibitor. Baseline characteristics were generally balanced between groups, except for corticosteroid usage (36% in the rituximab arm versus 17% in the placebo arm). A serious infection (pneumonia) was observed in 1 patient (3%) in the rituximab group after 14.4 patient-years of exposure (6.95 events per 100 patient-years, 95% confidence interval 0.98-49.35), compared with none in the placebo group at week 24. Infections were reported in 18 patients (55%) and 11 patients (61%) in the rituximab and placebo groups, respectively. Grade 3 infections were reported in 3 patients (9%) receiving rituximab and in none of the patients receiving placebo. No grade 4 infections were observed, nor were there any opportunistic, fungal, or tuberculosis infections. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported in 2 rituximab-treated patients (pneumonia and coronary artery occlusion), whereas there were no SAEs reported in placebo-treated patients. At week 24, the percentage of patients achieving an American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) improvement response was 30% in the rituximab group compared with 17% in the placebo group, and ACR50 responses were achieved by 12% and 6% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSION The preliminary safety profile of rituximab in combination with a TNF inhibitor and MTX was consistent with the safety profile of rituximab in combination with MTX in other RA trials without a TNF inhibitor, with no new safety signals observed. SAEs were numerically more frequent in the rituximab group, and there was no clear evidence of an efficacy advantage in patients receiving rituximab in combination with a TNF inhibitor and MTX.
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Nguyen-Khoa BA, Goehring EL, Alexander KA, Dong W, Napalkov P, Jones JK. Risk of Significant Infection in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Switching Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Drugs. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2012; 42:119-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2012.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Revised: 04/09/2012] [Accepted: 04/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Safety of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis: A long-term prospective single-center study of gammaglobulin concentrations and infections. Joint Bone Spine 2012; 79:365-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2011.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Access to the next wave of biologic therapies (Abatacept and Tocilizumab) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in England and Wales: addressing treatment outside the current NICE guidance. Clin Rheumatol 2012; 31:1005-12. [PMID: 22271229 PMCID: PMC3362712 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-011-1936-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2011] [Revised: 10/31/2011] [Accepted: 12/23/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Patients in England and Wales with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receive treatment from the National Health Service (NHS) with therapies approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), under guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). This document overviews the current NICE guidelines for the treatment of RA and identifies scenarios when such guidance may not represent the optimum management strategy for individual patients. Specifically, we consider the use of tocilizumab or abatacept as the most appropriate treatments for some patients. In such scenarios, it may be possible for the clinician to secure access to the required therapy through an application procedure known as an ‘individual funding request’, the process of which is described in detail here. At present, it is unclear the extent to which the proposed reform of the NHS will affect the role of NICE in providing guidance and setting standards of care. Until the full impact of the proposed changes are realized, individual funding requests will remain a valuable way of securing the optimal treatment for all patients suffering from RA.
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Pham T, Bachelez H, Berthelot JM, Blacher J, Bouhnik Y, Claudepierre P, Constantin A, Fautrel B, Gaudin P, Goëb V, Gossec L, Goupille P, Guillaume-Czitrom S, Hachulla E, Huet I, Jullien D, Launay O, Lemann M, Maillefert JF, Marolleau JP, Martinez V, Masson C, Morel J, Mouthon L, Pol S, Puéchal X, Richette P, Saraux A, Schaeverbeke T, Soubrier M, Sudre A, Tran TA, Viguier M, Vittecoq O, Wendling D, Mariette X, Sibilia J. TNF alpha antagonist therapy and safety monitoring. Joint Bone Spine 2011; 78 Suppl 1:15-185. [PMID: 21703545 DOI: 10.1016/s1297-319x(11)70001-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To develop and/or update fact sheets about TNFα antagonists treatments, in order to assist physicians in the management of patients with inflammatory joint disease. METHODS 1. selection by a committee of rheumatology experts of the main topics of interest for which fact sheets were desirable; 2. identification and review of publications relevant to each topic; 3. development and/or update of fact sheets based on three levels of evidence: evidence-based medicine, official recommendations, and expert opinion. The experts were rheumatologists and invited specialists in other fields, and they had extensive experience with the management of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid. They were members of the CRI (Club Rhumatismes et Inflammation), a section of the Société Francaise de Rhumatologie. Each fact sheet was revised by several experts and the overall process was coordinated by three experts. RESULTS Several topics of major interest were selected: contraindications of TNFα antagonists treatments, the management of adverse effects and concomitant diseases that may develop during these therapies, and the management of everyday situations such as pregnancy, surgery, and immunizations. After a review of the literature and discussions among experts, a consensus was developed about the content of the fact sheets presented here. These fact sheets focus on several points: 1. in RA and SpA, initiation and monitoring of TNFα antagonists treatments, management of patients with specific past histories, and specific clinical situations such as pregnancy; 2. diseases other than RA, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis; 3. models of letters for informing the rheumatologist and general practitioner; 4. and patient information. CONCLUSION These TNFα antagonists treatments fact sheets built on evidence-based medicine and expert opinion will serve as a practical tool for assisting physicians who manage patients on these therapies. They will be available continuously at www.cri-net.com and updated at appropriate intervals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thao Pham
- Rheumatology Department, CHU Sainte-Marguerite, Marseille, France.
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Martín Mola E, Hernández B, García-Arias M, Alvaro-Gracia JM, Balsa A, Reino JG, Marenco de la Fuente JL, Martínez-Taboada V, Ivorra JAR, Sanmartí R. [Consensus on the Use of Rituximab in Rheumatoid Arthritis. A document with evidence-based recommendations. Grupo de Expertos en Rituximab. ]. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 7:30-44. [PMID: 21794777 DOI: 10.1016/j.reuma.2010.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2010] [Revised: 11/06/2010] [Accepted: 11/16/2010] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Rituximab has been employed successfully for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). However, its particular mechanism of action, as well as a lack of concrete guidelines for its management have generated doubts on its use. OBJECTIVE To establish recommendations that facilitates the use of rituximab in common clinical practice. METHODS In a first Delphi round, 9 expert rheumatologists got together to develop questions on those subjects generating most doubts on the efficacy and safety of the drug. These were adapted to perform a systematic review of the evidence, which was presented in a second meeting. Nominal groups were formed to respond to each question and give a recommendation. These recommendations were presented in a second Delphi round to a larger group of experts in rheumatology. Once again recommendations were discussed, modified and voted upon. Once approved, a vote on the degree of agreement for each recommendation was carried out. RESULTS 17 recommendations were established, 10 regarding efficacy and 7 safety. All of the efficacy recommendations except 3 presented a good or moderate degree of evidence. Among the safety recommendations, 3 had a good or moderate degree of evidence while in the rest it was indirect, scarce or non-existent and a product of expert recommendation. The degree of agreement between experts was elevated for most of the recommendations. CONCLUSIONS These recommendations attempt to clear doubts on the use of rituximab and establish guidelines for its use in daily practice. Efficacy recommendations have a high degree of evidence, allowing the clinician to be guided in therapeutic decisions. Safety recommendations have a lower degree of evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Martín Mola
- Servicio de Reumatología, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, España.
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Buch MH, Smolen JS, Betteridge N, Breedveld FC, Burmester G, Dörner T, Ferraccioli G, Gottenberg JE, Isaacs J, Kvien TK, Mariette X, Martin-Mola E, Pavelka K, Tak PP, van der Heijde D, van Vollenhoven RF, Emery P. Updated consensus statement on the use of rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2011; 70:909-20. [PMID: 21378402 PMCID: PMC3086093 DOI: 10.1136/ard.2010.144998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 299] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2011] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since initial approval for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), rituximab has been evaluated in clinical trials involving various populations with RA. Information has also been gathered from registries. This report therefore updates the 2007 consensus document on the use of rituximab in the treatment of RA. METHODS Preparation of this new document involved many international experts experienced in the treatment of RA. Following a meeting to agree upon the core agenda, a systematic literature review was undertaken to identify all relevant data. Data were then interrogated by a drafting committee, with subsequent review and discussion by a wider expert committee leading to the formulation of an updated consensus statement. These committees also included patients with RA. RESULTS The new statement covers wide-ranging issues including the use of rituximab in earlier RA and impact on structural progression, and aspects particularly pertinent to rituximab such as co-medication, optimal dosage regimens, repeat treatment cycles and how to manage non-response. Biological therapy following rituximab usage is also addressed, and safety concerns including appropriate screening for hepatitis, immunoglobulin levels and infection risk. This consensus statement will support clinicians and inform patients when using B-cell depletion in the management of RA, providing up-to-date information and highlighting areas for further research. CONCLUSION New therapeutic strategies and treatment options for RA, a chronic destructive and disabling disease, have expanded over recent years. These have been summarised in general strategic suggestions and specific management recommendations, emphasising the importance of expedient disease-modifying antirheumatic drug implementation and tight disease control. This consensus statement is in line with these fundamental principles of management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya H Buch
- Section of Musculoskeletal Diseases, Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
| | - Josef S Smolen
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Division of Rheumatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Hietzing Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Ferdinand C Breedveld
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gerd Burmester
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Humboldt University, Charite Hospital, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Dörner
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Humboldt University, Charite Hospital, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Jacques-Eric Gottenberg
- Rheumatology Department, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - John Isaacs
- Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Tore K Kvien
- Department of Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Xavier Mariette
- Institut Pour la Santé et la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U 1012, Hôpital Bicêtre, Université Paris-Sud 11, Paris, France
| | | | - Karel Pavelka
- Institute of Rheumatology and Clinic of Rheumatology Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Paul P Tak
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ronald F van Vollenhoven
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden
| | - Paul Emery
- Section of Musculoskeletal Diseases, Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
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Voulgari PV. Golimumab: a new anti-TNF-alpha agent for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2011; 6:721-33. [PMID: 20828280 DOI: 10.1586/eci.10.49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease characterized by symmetric arthritis leading to progressive erosion of cartilage and bone. Psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis are also inflammatory arthritides that belong to the spondyloarthritides. Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and biologic therapies including anti-TNF agents are used in their treatment. The TNF antagonists have shown rapid and sustained therapeutic responses. However, a substantial number of patients fail to respond to anti-TNF agents or experience side effects. Golimumab is a human monoclonal antibody to TNF-α requiring less frequent administration compared with current anti-TNF products. Various trials have shown promising results in terms of efficacy and safety in methotrexate-naive and -resistant patients with RA as well as in patients previously treated with other anti-TNF agents. The efficacy of golimumab has also been demonstrated in patients with psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevi V Voulgari
- Rheumatology Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
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Malaviya AN, Haroon N. Infections associated with the use of biologic response modifiers in rheumatic diseases: a critical appraisal. INDIAN JOURNAL OF RHEUMATOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/s0973-3698(11)60040-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Giles JT, Bathon JM. Management of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-06551-1.00094-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
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Dass S, Vital EM, Emery P. Rituximab. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-06551-1.00059-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Kelesidis T, Daikos G, Boumpas D, Tsiodras S. Does rituximab increase the incidence of infectious complications? A narrative review. Int J Infect Dis 2010; 15:e2-16. [PMID: 21074471 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2010.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2009] [Revised: 03/23/2010] [Accepted: 03/30/2010] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rituximab has increasingly been used for the treatment of hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases, and its efficacy and safety are well established. Although clinical trials have shown conflicting results regarding the association of rituximab with infections, an increased incidence of infections has recently been reported in patients with lymphomas being treated with rituximab. However, clinical experience regarding the association of rituximab with different types of infection is lacking and this association has not been established in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS All previous studies included in our literature review were found using a PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane database search of the English-language medical literature applying the terms 'rituximab', 'monoclonal antibodies', 'infections', 'infectious complications', and combinations of these terms. In addition, the references cited in these articles were examined to identify additional reports. RESULTS We performed separate analyses of data regarding the association of rituximab with infection in (1) patients with hematological malignancies, (2) patients with autoimmune disorders, and (3) transplant patients. Recent data show that rituximab maintenance therapy significantly increases the risk of both infection and neutropenia in patients with lymphoma or other hematological malignancies. On the other hand, data available to date do not indicate an increased risk of infections when using rituximab compared with concurrent control treatments in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. However, there is a lack of sufficient long-term data to allow such a statement to be definitively made, and caution regarding infections should continue to be exercised, especially in patients who have received repeated courses of rituximab, are receiving other immunosuppressants concurrently, and in those whose immunoglobulin levels have fallen below the normal range. Few data are available concerning the risk of organ transplant recipients developing infections following rituximab therapy. Data from case reports, case series, and retrospective studies correlate rituximab use with the development of a variety of infections in transplant patients. CONCLUSIONS Further studies are needed to clarify the association of rituximab with infection. Physicians and patients should be educated about the association of rituximab with infectious complications. Monitoring of absolute neutrophil count and immunoglobulin levels and the identification of high-risk groups for the development of infectious complications, with timely vaccination of these groups, are clearly needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Kelesidis
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Ave., CHS 37-121, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Diagnostic strategy for patients with hypogammaglobulinemia in rheumatology. Joint Bone Spine 2010; 78:241-5. [PMID: 21036646 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2010.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of hypogammaglobulinemia, which is defined as a plasmatic level of immunoglobulin (Ig) under 5 g/L is rare in clinical practice. However, the management of immunodepressed patients in rheumatology, sometimes due to the use of immunosuppressive treatments such as anti-CD20 in chronic inflammatory rheumatisms, increases the risk of being confronted to this situation. The discovery of hypogammaglobulinemia in clinical practice, sometimes by chance, must never be neglected and requires a rigorous diagnosis approach. First of all, in adults, secondary causes, in particular lymphoid hemopathies or drug-related causes (immunosuppressors, antiepileptics) must be eliminated. A renal (nephrotic syndrome) or digestive (protein-losing enteropathy) leakage of Ig is also possible. More rarely, it is due to an authentic primary immunodeficiency (PID) discovered in adulthood: common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) which is the most frequent form of PID, affects young adults between 20 and 30 years and can sometimes trigger joint symptoms similar to those in rheumatoid arthritis; or Good syndrome, which associates hypogammaglobulinemia, thymoma and recurrent infections around the age of 40 years. In most cases, after confirming hypogammaglobulinemia on a second test, biological examinations and thoracic-abdominal-pelvic CT scan will guide the diagnosis, after which the opinion of a specialist can be sought depending on the findings of the above examinations. At the end of this review, we provide a decision tree to guide the clinician confronted to an adult-onset hypogammaglobulinemia.
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Mathew R, Mumford CJ, Daroszewska A. Unilateral glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal nerve palsies due to compression by a rheumatoid pannus. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2010; 49:1996-7. [DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keq156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Walker UA, Courvoisier DS, Dudler J, Aeberli D, von Kempis J, Scherer A, Finckh A. Do new biologics meet the unmet medical need in rheumatoid arthritis? Safety and efficacy of abatacept following B-cell depletion. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2010; 50:243-4. [PMID: 20716674 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keq258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Abstract
The introduction of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors in the late 1990s significantly changed the therapeutic approach for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). With the approval of subsequent TNF inhibitors as well as other biologic agents effective in the management of RA, the treatment paradigm has become increasingly complex. This review examines the current literature regarding the efficacy and toxicity of these and other new anti-rheumatic therapies and discusses effective therapeutic strategies for their use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Feely
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
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Ahmed S, Anolik JH. B-cell biology and related therapies in systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 2010; 36:109-30, viii-ix. [PMID: 20202594 DOI: 10.1016/j.rdc.2009.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex disease characterized by numerous autoantibodies and clinical involvement in multiple organ systems. The immunologic events triggering the onset and progression of clinical manifestations have not yet been fully defined, but a central role for B cells in the pathogenesis has been brought to the fore in the last several years. The breakdown of B-cell tolerance is likely a defining and early event in the disease process and may occur by multiple pathways, including alterations in factors that affect B-cell activation thresholds, B-cell longevity, and apoptotic cell processing. Antibody-dependent and -independent mechanisms of B cells are important in SLE. Thus, autoantibodies contribute to autoimmunity by multiple mechanisms including immune complex mediated type III hypersensitivity reactions, type II antibody-dependent cytotoxicity, and by instructing innate immune cells to produce pathogenic cytokines including interferon alpha, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin 1. Recent data have highlighted the critical role of toll-like receptors as a link between the innate and adaptive immune system in SLE immunopathogenesis. Given the large body of evidence implicating abnormalities in the B-cell compartment in SLE, there has been a therapeutic focus on developing interventions that target the B-cell compartment. Several different approaches to targeting B cells have been used, including B-cell depletion with monoclonal antibodies against B-cell-specific molecules, induction of negative signaling in B cells, and blocking B-cell survival and activation factors. Overall, therapies targeting B cells are beginning to show promise in the treatment of SLE and continue to elucidate the diverse roles of B cells in this complex disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadia Ahmed
- Division of Allergy Immunology Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 695, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW With an increasing range of biological therapies available in the management of rheumatoid arthritis, sequencing of such therapies is becoming more frequent, particularly with more ambitious treatment aims. This review will address the evidence to date on use of successive targeted agents. RECENT FINDINGS Double-blind, randomized controlled trials have confirmed the role of alternative tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors (TNFi), rituximab, abatacept and tocilizumab, following TNFi failure with no comparative studies to date. Registry data have demonstrated efficacy of switching from a first to a second TNFi. Observational experience has confirmed benefits of switching from TNFi to TNFi and TNFi to rituximab. Within available randomized controlled trial data, tocilizumab appears effective in TNFi failure group, irrespective of number of TNFi previously failed. Such data are not available for the other agents. No safety signals have been identified thus far with biologic sequencing. Although formal comparative, controlled studies do not exist, type of previous failure to TNFi and disease characteristics (serology, comorbidity, concomitant therapy) can provide a good platform for choosing the next biologic treatment. SUMMARY Although biological sequencing is well established, optimal approach represents a significant knowledge gap; well designed clinical studies with associated mechanistic investigation are necessary to identify disease subgroups that would benefit from one sequence over another.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Our understanding of the multiple physiological and pathogenic functions of B cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) continues to expand. In turn, the availability of effective agents targeting the B cell compartment increases. In this review, we discuss novel insights into the roles of B cells in RA and recent evidence regarding the efficacy of B cell depletion and biomarkers of treatment response. RECENT FINDINGS Recent data have further elucidated the requirements for the generation of ectopic lymphoid structures in the rheumatoid synovium, their frequency, and role in pathogenesis. Additional studies have described the phenotype of infiltrating B cells in the synovium and the unexpected role for B cells in bone homeostasis. In addition to pathogenic roles for B cells, there is also mounting evidence for regulatory B cell subsets that may play a protective role. New data on radiographic progression, efficacy in early disease, the role of retreatment, and biomarkers of treatment response continue to refine the role of B cell depletion in the treatment armamentarium. SUMMARY The past few years have seen new advances in immunology applied to the study of RA with surprising observations and interesting new insights into cause and pathogenesis.
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Vital EM, Dass S, Rawstron AC, Buch MH, Goëb V, Henshaw K, Ponchel F, Emery P. Management of nonresponse to rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis: predictors and outcome of re-treatment. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 62:1273-9. [PMID: 20131284 DOI: 10.1002/art.27359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A proportion of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have disease that fails to respond to an initial cycle of rituximab. Using highly sensitive flow cytometry (HSFC), it has been shown that most patients who do not exhibit a response, as measured using the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) criteria, have persistent circulating B cell levels at week 2 after initial treatment with rituximab. This study was undertaken to examine whether an additional cycle of rituximab would improve B cell depletion and clinical response in patients whose disease did not respond to the initial cycle. METHODS Patients with RA (n = 158) were treated with a first cycle of rituximab (2 infusions of 1 gm each). Clinical responses were assessed using EULAR criteria, and patients were categorized as either first-cycle responders or first-cycle nonresponders. Baseline characteristics of first-cycle nonresponders (n = 38) and first-cycle responders (n = 65) with complete data were compared. First-cycle nonresponders (n = 25) were treated with a second cycle of rituximab at least 6 months after the first cycle. HSFC was performed at baseline, immediately prior to the second infusion (week 2), 1 month after the second infusion (week 6), and then every 3 months for each cycle of rituximab. Complete B cell depletion was defined as being <0.0001 x 10(9) cells/liter. RESULTS At baseline, the number of preplasma cells was significantly higher in first-cycle nonresponders than in first-cycle responders (P = 0.003). Following the first infusion of the first cycle of rituximab, only 9% of first-cycle nonresponders (3 of 34) exhibited complete depletion of B-lineage cells, compared with 37% of first-cycle responders (22 of 59) (P = 0.007). Following the first infusion of the second cycle of rituximab, 38% of first-cycle nonresponders exhibited complete depletion. Twenty-six weeks after the second cycle, there was a significant improvement in the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, with 72% of patients exhibiting a EULAR response. CONCLUSION RA patients whose disease did not respond to an initial cycle of rituximab have higher circulating preplasma cell numbers at baseline and incomplete depletion. Our findings indicate that an additional cycle of rituximab administered prior to total B cell repopulation enhances B cell depletion and clinical responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Vital
- University of Leeds, Chapel Allerton Hospital and Leeds Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust, Leeds, UK
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Papagoras C, Voulgari PV, Drosos AA. Strategies after the failure of the first anti-tumor necrosis factor α agent in rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmun Rev 2010; 9:574-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2010.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2010] [Accepted: 04/22/2010] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Current awareness: Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2010. [DOI: 10.1002/pds.1850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Mishra R, Singh V, Pritchard CH. Safety of biologic agents after rituximab therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatol Int 2009; 31:481-4. [PMID: 20091035 PMCID: PMC3824288 DOI: 10.1007/s00296-009-1307-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2009] [Accepted: 11/29/2009] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The safety of other biologic therapies in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) following B cell-depletion therapy with rituximab has not been established. This retrospective chart review of patients attending an outpatient rheumatology clinic aimed to assess the incidence of adverse events in patients receiving biologic agents to treat RA after an inadequate response or intolerance to rituximab. The charts of 22 patients (18 female; mean age 59 years) were reviewed. Duration of RA was >2 years. Before rituximab, patients had failed one (n = 10), two (n = 4) or three (n = 7) biologic therapies: 1 patient started on rituximab as a first-line biologic. Eighteen patients stopped rituximab due to an inadequate clinical response, while four patients stopped due to adverse events. The mean time to starting a new biologic after rituximab was 4 months, although five patients were started within 1 month of the last rituximab infusion. Abatacept (41%) was the most common biologic used after rituximab. The mean follow-up time from the last rituximab infusion was 14 months. Adverse events occurring after rituximab therapy, but before initiation of a new biologic, included disseminated herpes zoster and aseptic meningitis (both required hospitalization). Adverse events recorded after starting a new biologic post-rituximab included rash, carbuncle, upper respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and eczema, but none was classified as serious. Most of these events occurred in patients receiving abatacept. In conclusion, in this retrospective analysis, no serious adverse events were recorded in patients who received biologic agents following rituximab therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richa Mishra
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Pennsylvania, 827 Penn Tower Bldg, 3401 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Abstract
The anti-CD20 antibody Rituximab was the first B-cell-specific therapy approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis patients. The basis for its approval in 2006 was the REFLEX study, which examined the administration of 1000 mg Rituximab at 2-week intervals combined with Methotrexat compared with placebo in patients with poor response to TNF-inhibitors in terms of all relevant clinical parameters. Radiological data show that Rituximab is capable of effectively arresting joint destruction. The treatment was well tolerated. The most common side effect, seen in up to 35% of patients, was infusion reactions, particularly during initial Rituximab administration. This could be reduced by approximately 30% with the use of steroid premedication. The serious infection rate in this randomised trial was slightly increased compared with the placebo group, as would also be expected for other biologicals. Data on re-treatment is currently available for up to five treatments and show sustained and/or improved efficacy with continued good tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iñaki Sanz
- Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
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