title: Successful experience of rituximab therapy for systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease with concomitant systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated that B cells play critical roles in autoimmune disorders including systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the effectiveness of rituximab (RTX), a chimeric anti-CD20 antibody, for SSc-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) or SLE disease activity remains controversial. We herein report an SSc patient with severely progressed ILD and concomitant SLE treated by two cycles of RTX at baseline and half a year later. This treatment improved ILD and SLE activities, along with reduction of dermal sclerosis and serum anti-topoisomerase I antibody levels. In addition, our detailed time-course data indicate that half a year may be appropriate as an interval between each cycle of RTX therapy aimed at SSc-associated ILD or SLE. Overall, the current report could pave the way to establish RTX as a disease-modifying drug for patients with SSc and/or SLE showing resistance to other already approved medications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hayakazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sumida
authors.forename: Yoshihide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: Zenshiro
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: Naohiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aozasa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toyama
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichimura
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Kaname
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akamata
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuwano
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanaba
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069283:Rituximab; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D001323:Autoantibodies; D000069283:Rituximab; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I; C528909:TOP1 protein, human
keywords: B cells; interstitial lung disease; rituximab; systemic lupus erythematosus; systemic sclerosis