title: Rituximab is an effective and safe treatment of relapse in elderly patients with resistant warm AIHA.
abstract: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of rituximab for the treatment of 23 elderly patients (median age 78 years) with warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA). The median follow-up was 31 months. Patients had received one to five previous treatments. Rituximab was administered by intravenous infusion at a dose of 375 mg/m(2) once weekly for 4 weeks. The OR rate was 86.9 % (CR = 39.1 %, PR = 47.8 %). Median OS was 87 months. The median OS of patients who reached CR could not be calculated, and that of patients with PR was 67 months. At last follow-up, eight of the 20 responding patients, including one patient in CR and seven in PR, had relapsed after a median of 6 months. Failure to achieve CR was a risk factor for relapse (p = 0.028). We did not identify any pretreatment characteristics predictive of response to rituximab. In conclusion, rituximab is an effective treatment for elderly patients with refractory warm AIHA.
authors: Department of Haematology, Centre Hospitalier, 194 Avenue Rubillard, 72000, Le Mans, France. klaribi@ch-lemans.fr.
authors: Kamel
authors: K
authors: Laribi
authors: Pharmacy Department, Centre hospitalier, Le Mans, France.
authors: Delphine
authors: D
authors: Bolle
authors: Department of Haematology, Centre Hospitalier, 194 Avenue Rubillard, 72000, Le Mans, France.
authors: Habib
authors: H
authors: Ghnaya
authors: Department of Haematology, Centre Hospitalier, 194 Avenue Rubillard, 72000, Le Mans, France.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Sandu
authors: Department of Haematology, Centre Hospitalier, 194 Avenue Rubillard, 72000, Le Mans, France.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Besançon
authors: Department of Haematology, Centre Hospitalier, 194 Avenue Rubillard, 72000, Le Mans, France.
authors: Nathalie
authors: N
authors: Denizon
authors: Clinical Research Center, Centre Hospitalier, Le Mans, France.
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Truong
authors: Laboratory of Biology and Haematology, Centre Hospitalier, Le Mans, France.
authors: Fabienne
authors: F
authors: Pineau-Vincent
authors: Department of Medicine, Pôle Santé Sud, Le Mans, France.
authors: Alix Baugier
authors: AB
authors: de Materre
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000744:Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D013156:Splenectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D001323:Autoantibodies; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000069283:Rituximab
keywords: Elderly; Haemolytic autoimmune anaemia; Relapse; Rituximab; Safety