title: Rituximab use in pediatric autoimmune diseases: four case reports.
abstract: Rituximab (RTX) is currently used in many diseases, but its efficacy and safety in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLEj) is still unknown. In this chapter we present four case reports of children treated with RTX: three SLE and one immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Two of the three SLEj patients had class IV lupus nephritis (LN) and hematologic manifestations (pancytopenia), both reaching complete recovery of blood counts and improvement of LN with RTX treatment. Our third SLE patient had a severe onset with generalized microangiopathic manifestations in association with antiphospholipid antibodies and has been in remission for almost 1 year after RTX. However, our fourth case, a patient with ITP and renal failure, was treated with RTX without either hematologic or renal response.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Santa Maria, Serviço de Reumatologia e Doenças Osseas Metabólicas, Lisboa, Portugal. polidopereira@gmail.com
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polido-Pereira
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: José Eduardo Esteves
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simão
authors.forename: Rosário
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Filipa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: José Carlos Teixeira
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Melo-Gomes
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gomes-Pedro
authors.forename: Mário
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viana-Queiroz
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Canhão
authors.forename: João Eurico
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fonseca
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009393:Nephritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D010198:Pancytopenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000069283:Rituximab; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018951:Antigens, CD20; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D000069283:Rituximab