title: Late onset neutropenia and immunoglobulin suppression of the patients with malignant lymphoma following autologous stem cell transplantation with rituximab.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, decrease of immunoglobulin concentrations or neutrophil counts were reported in some cases several months after administration of rituximab. We examined a number of episodes of late onset neutropenia or immunoglobulin decrease in patients with malignant lymphoma who were in complete remission following autologous transplantation with or without rituximab.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma transplanted with or without rituximab in our institutes were analyzed. Immunoglobulin concentrations and neutrophil counts after transplantation, both with and without rituximab were measured serially.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four weeks after transplantation, blood samples revealed lower concentrations of IgG and IgA in the rituximab group than in the non-rituximab group. Neutrophil numbers did not fall below 0.5x10(9) /L four weeks or more after transplantation in the non-rituximab group. Neutrophil numbers dropped below 0.5x10(9) /L in 6 of 14 cases in the rituximab group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the present study was retrospective and disease composition and pre-transplantation regimens differed between the two groups, the addition of rituximab to autologous transplantation might bring about a decrease of immunoglobulin levels and transient LON.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Asahikawa Red Cross Hospital, Asahikawa. hirayama@hsh.or.jp
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: Kyuhei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kohda
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Konuma
authors.forename: Yasuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimi
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shirao
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobune
authors.forename: Rishu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takimoto
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D000069283:Rituximab