Experiences with rituximab for the treatment of autoimmune diseases with ocular involvement

• Published in: Journal of rheumatology Vol. 41; no. 1; p. 84
• Main Authors: Pelegrin, Laura, Jakob, Eva, Schmidt-Bacher, Annette, Schwenger, Vedat, Becker, Matthias, Max, Regina, Lorenz, Hans Martin, Mackensen, Friederike
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived - therapeutic use; Autoimmune Diseases - drug therapy; Behcet Syndrome - drug therapy; Eye Diseases - drug therapy; Female; Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis - drug therapy; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Rituximab; Treatment Outcome; CLINICAL REMISSION; OCULAR INFLAMMATION; GRANULOMATOUS POLYANGIITIS; RITUXIMAB; ORBITAL INFLAMMATION
• ISSN: 0315-162X
• DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.130206

To report the efficacy of rituximab (RTX) in the treatment of ocular or orbital inflammation accompanying autoimmune diseases refractory to previous standard immunosuppressive therapy. We reviewed medical records of 9 consecutive patients with noninfectious ocular or orbital inflammation treated with RTX. Over a mean followup of 42 months, 7 patients were in clinical remission, 1 had partial response to treatment, and 1 did not respond. Best corrected visual acuity improved ≥ 1 line in 4 patients, was stable in another 4 patients, and worsened in 1. Concomitant immunosuppressive therapy was tapered in 6 cases. Systemic corticosteroids were tapered or kept below 7.5 mg a day in 5 patients 1 year after the first RTX cycle. RTX therapy, in patients who are refractory to standard immunosuppressive therapy, was effective and showed a beneficial response to treatment including induction of clinical remission of inflammation in most patients.