Rituximab in the treatment of inflammatory myopathies: a review.
Several uncontrolled studies have encouraged the use of rituximab (RTX) in patients with myositis. Unfortunately, the first placebo-phase trial to assess the efficacy of RTX in refractory myositis did not show a significant difference between the two treatment groups, and doubts have been expressed about its study design. In this review we present an up-to-date overview of the reported experiences of RTX therapy in myositis. A PubMed search was performed to find all the available cases of refractory myositis patients treated with RTX up to July 2015. The following terms were assessed: inflammatory myopathies OR anti-synthetase syndrome OR polymyositis OR dermatomyositis AND RTX. A total of 48 studies were included. We identified 458 patients with myositis treated with RTX. We found a rate of response to RTX of 78.3%. RTX can play a role in the management of patients with myositis, at least in those with positive myositis-specific autoantibodies.
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Serena
S
Fasano
Centre for Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, UK.
Patrick
P
Gordon
Department of Internal Medicine, Sidi Bouzid Hospital, Ibn Aljazzar Medicine, Faculty of Sousse, Tunisia.
Raouf
R
Hajji
Servicio de Reumatología e Inmunología Clinica HRUJMCB, Jefe de Servicio, Santiago, Rep. Dominicana.
Esthela
E
Loyo
Centre for Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University College London, London, UK d.isenberg@ucl.ac.uk.
David A
DA
Isenberg
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D056245:Mi-2 Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase Complex / Q000276:immunology; D009220:Myositis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D000069283:Rituximab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; C115323:CHD4 protein, human; C046750:Jo-1 antibody; D000069283:Rituximab; D056245:Mi-2 Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase Complex
anti-synthetase syndrome; dermatomyositis; inflammatory myopathies; polymyositis; rituximab