Anti-CD20 Therapy for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia-associated Autoimmune Diseases
- 1 January 2003
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Leukemia & Lymphoma
- Vol. 44 (11), 1951-1955
- https://doi.org/10.1080/1042819031000119235
Abstract
Rituximab is active in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and may interfere with autoantibodies production in some immune diseases. We report the results of rituximab treatment in 7 patients with CLL-associated symptomatic autoimmune diseases refractory to standard immunosuppressive therapies: warm antibody hemolytic anemia (AHA) 4 patients, cold agglutinin disease (CAD) 1, immune thrombocytopenia (IT) I , axonal degenerating neuropathy (ADN) 1. Rituximab was given at the dose of 375mg/m2 per week for 4 weeks. One patient with AHA and one with CAD achieved complete normalization of hemoglobin levels and laboratory signs of haemolysis, with response duration (RD) of 8+ and 38+ months, respectively. In the patient with IT, complete remission was reached after the first week of treatment and RD was 6 months. The patient with ADN achieved a marked neurological improvement after rituximab therapy, with RD of 12 months. Retreatment of both patients with IT and ADN was effective. Rituximab may be an alternative agent for the treatment CLL-associated autoimmune diseases.Keywords
This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit:
- Rituximab-based chemotherapy for steroid-refractory autoimmune hemolytic anemia of chronic lymphocytic leukemiaLeukemia, 2002
- Rituximab for the treatment of type II mixed cryoglobulinemiaArthritis & Rheumatism, 2002
- Successful treatment of pure red cell aplasia with rituximab in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemiaBlood, 2002
- Favourable response to therapy with the anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab in primary chronic cold agglutinin diseaseBritish Journal of Haematology, 2001
- Rituximab chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody treatment for adults with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpuraBlood, 2001
- Treatment of refractory autoimmune haemolytic anaemia with anti‐cd20 (rituximab)British Journal of Haematology, 2001
- Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of severe, immune-mediated, pure red cell aplasia and hemolytic anemiaBlood, 2001
- Effective treatment with rituximab in a patient with refractory prolymphocytoid transformed B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Evans syndromeAnnals of Hematology, 2001
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: clinical, therapeutic, and prognostic featuresBlood, 2000
- Autoimmunity in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.Journal of Clinical Pathology, 1986