title: Successful use of single-dose rituximab for the maintenance of remission in a patient with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome.
abstract: We present the case of a 23-year-old man with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome due to minimal change disease who was treated with rituximab. The patient was resistant to conventional therapy. We therefore treated him with a single dose of rituximab (375 mg/m(2)). One month after the administration of rituximab, complete remission was achieved. However, six months later, the patient was administered a second dose of rituximab as the peripheral B cell counts began to recover. Thereafter, at present, that is, one year after the first rituximab administration, complete remission has been maintained. We conclude that rituximab may be an effective treatment agent for resistant nephrotic syndrome and the peripheral B cell count may be a useful marker in such patients for preventing disease relapse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kidney Center, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Noritomo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kurosu
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asamiya
authors.forename: Chiari
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Takahito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: Mitsuyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itabashi
authors.forename: Misao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Kosaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nitta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012074:Remission Induction; D000069283:Rituximab; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D013256:Steroids; D000069283:Rituximab