title: B cell depletion therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: There is a growing body of experimental evidence that B lymphocytes play a central role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). B cells are, by definition, the precursors of antibody-secreting cells, and thus are the source of pathogenic autoantibodies. However, recent data indicate that B cells are not merely the passive producers of immunoglobulins, but also play a central role in autoimmunity via nonconventional mechanisms, including autoantigen presentation and modulation of other immune cells. Thus, B lymphocyte depletion has recently emerged as a promising therapeutic approach to the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including SLE. Rituximab is a chimeric mouse-human monoclonal antibody against the B cell-specific antigen CD20, which selectively and profoundly depletes B lymphocytes and has been widely used to treat B cell lymphomas. Recent open-label studies indicate that rituximab is safe and may be efficacious in the treatment of SLE, and continued study with randomized clinical trials is justified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine: Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 695, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. jennifer_anolik@urmc.rochester.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anolik
authors.forename: Iñaki
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.forename: R John
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Looney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D000069283:Rituximab
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000069283:Rituximab