title: Treatment of relapsing polychondritis in the era of biological agents.
abstract: Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare disorder, often requiring high doses of immunosuppressive therapy to control its potentially life-threatening consequences. The advent of biological agents has added to the armamentarium available to treat RP, but the lack of controlled trials, along with the small numbers of patients and disease heterogeneity means that new therapies are prescribed without the benefits of rigorous clinical research. Thus, information on individual cases is of value in expanding our knowledge of the use of biologic agents in rare conditions. We report on the use of rituximab in a patient who subsequently developed catastrophic aortic incompetence, and we review the literature in relation to the use of this drug in RP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, St James' Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors.forename: Eoghan M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Gaye
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cunnane
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D003094:Collagen / Q000276:immunology; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000069283:Rituximab; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000069283:Rituximab; D003094:Collagen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D001379:Azathioprine