title: Long-term outcome of children treated with rituximab for idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rituximab (RTX) has recently showed promising results in the treatment of steroid-dependent idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (SDNS).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective multicenter study of 18 children treated with RTX for SDNS, with a mean follow-up of 3.2 years. RTX was introduced because of side effects or relapses during therapy with immunosuppressive agents. The children received one to four infusions of RTX during the first course of treatment, and subsequent infusions were given due to CD19-cell recovery (CD19 >1 %; 54 % of children) or relapse (41 %), as well as systematically (5 %).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with RTX maintained sustained remission without relapse in 22 % of patients and increased the duration of remission in all other patients. The time between two successive relapses was 9 months in the absence of re-treatment and 24.5 months when infusions were performed at the time of CD19-cell recovery. At the last follow-up, 44.5 % of patients were free of oral drug therapy. Of those still receiving oral drugs, all doses had been decreased. No serious adverse events occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this retrospective study confirm the efficacy and very good safety of RTX in the treatment of SDNS. The optimal therapeutic protocol seems to be a repeated single infusion at the time of CD19-cell recovery.
authors: Pediatric Nephrology, Hôpital des Enfants, Toulouse, France. s.tellier@chu-toulouse.fr
authors: Stéphanie
authors: S
authors: Tellier
authors: Karine
authors: K
authors: Brochard
authors: Arnaud
authors: A
authors: Garnier
authors: Flavio
authors: F
authors: Bandin
authors: Brigitte
authors: B
authors: Llanas
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Guigonis
authors: Mathilde
authors: M
authors: Cailliez
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Pietrement
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Dunand
authors: Sylvie
authors: S
authors: Nathanson
authors: Aurélia
authors: A
authors: Bertholet-Thomas
authors: Lydia
authors: L
authors: Ichay
authors: Stéphane
authors: S
authors: Decramer
mesh_terms: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D000069283:Rituximab