title: Rituximab for prevention and treatment of graft-versus-host disease.
abstract: Growing understanding of the important role of B lymphocytes in alloreactivity has paved the way for evaluating anti-B cell therapy with rituximab in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Data suggesting a beneficial reduction in incidence and severity of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are limited to non-randomized studies from single institutions using higher than conventional doses of rituximab. Additionally, rituximab is used as an effective treatment of corticosteroid-refractory chronic GVHD with good responses, particularly in cases of dermatologic and mucosal involvement. Post-transplant administration of rituximab appears to reduce the rate of chronic GVHD in preliminary studies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kharfan-Dabaja
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematological Malignancies, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. corey_cutler@dfci.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Corey S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cutler
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000328:Adult; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000069283:Rituximab; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D011344:Procarbazine; D000069283:Rituximab; D014747:Vinblastine; D008558:Melphalan