title: Rituximab treatment for Sjogren syndrome-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: case series.
abstract: Five per cent of patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) develop malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), usually of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) and most frequently located in the major salivary glands. Rituximab (RTX), a chimeric monoclonal antibody against the CD20 molecule expressed on the surface of mature B cells that has been approved for the treatment of NHL, has been used to treat pSS-associated lymphoma. We have described two cases: one with MALT lymphoma in the parotid glands and the other with a rare thymus lymphoma accompanied by the rare complication of a bullous pneumopathy. Both were treated with RTX at haematological doses, which was unsuccessful in the patient with a salivary lymphoma; in the case of the patient with a thymus lymphoma, the mediastinum mass disappeared and did not relapse. Both patients experienced an improvement in the subjective symptoms of dryness, and their Schirmer's test and scialoscintigraphy results stabilised. The pulmonary bullae remained unchanged.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit of DIMIMP, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. m.covelli@reumbari.uniba.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Covelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lanciano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tartaglia
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grattagliano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Angelelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Atzeni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sarzi-Puttini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lapadula
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001768:Blister / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D000069283:Rituximab; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab