title: Efficacy and safety of rituximab treatment in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides: results from a German registry (GRAID).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rituximab (RTX) therapy is a treatment option in patients with refractory antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). We investigated the tolerability and clinical efficacy of RTX in a cohort of patients with refractory AAV.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and safety data of patients with AAV treated with RTX were retrospectively assessed from the data of a German national registry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 58 patients were included in this analysis (50/58 with granulomatosis with polyangiitis; 8/58 with microscopic polyangiitis who received at least 1 cycle, 17 patients who received 2 cycles, and 3 patients who received 3 cycles of RTX). Response was classified as complete and partial in 22 (40%) and in 29 cases (52.7%), respectively. Four patients (7.3%) were classified as nonresponders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RTX was well tolerated with good clinical efficacy in patients with refractory AAV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. Roll_P@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roll
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ostermeier
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haubitz
authors.forename: Svjetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lovric
authors.forename: Leonore
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holle
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kötter
authors.forename: Jörg C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Henes
authors.forename: Raoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bergner
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rubbert-Roth
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Specker
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schulze-Koops
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Müller-Ladner
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fleck
authors.forename: Gerd-Rüdiger
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Burmester
authors.forename: Falk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hiepe
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heitmann
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aringer
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fischer-Betz
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dörner
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Tony
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D056648:Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab