title: Efficacy of rituximab in the treatment of refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia patient with bone marrow aplasia.
abstract: Recently, several reports have been published claiming the efficacy of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (rituximab) in the treatment of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and some related autoimmune complications. We used anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody in a patient with advanced stage and heavily pre-treated B-CLL with a concomitant bone marrow aplasia requiring a remarkable transfusional support of both red blood cells and platelets. The treatment was conducted according to standard dosage and schedule and the patient did not experience any severe side effect. A progressive reduction of transfusions and a certain recovery of bone marrow cellularity was observed after six months from the end of therapy. This case suggests that rituximab can play a role in this subset of B-CLL patients with very few effective therapeutic options and in which the clinical features may be due both to neoplastic proliferation and concomitant autoimmune disorder.
authors.affiliation: University of Siena, Siena, Italy. marotta@unisi.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marotta
authors.forename: Mariapia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lenoci
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabbri
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tozzi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lauria
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D017713:Platelet Transfusion; D012010:Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D000069283:Rituximab; D016879:Salvage Therapy
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab