Rituximab in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this review is to describe the efficacy and safety of rituximab (RTX) as a remission induction and maintenance therapy in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV).


RESULTS
A PubMed search was carried out to track down articles published between February 2006 and February 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that encompassed patients with AAV were included. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) 2014-2015 online abstracts were also reviewed whether they were RTCs or not. Ten PubMed RCTs were analyzed along with eight ACR and four EULAR abstracts. RTX was not inferior to cyclophosphamide (CYC) for remission induction in AAV; it was superior to CYC in patients with relapsing disease and superior for remission maintenance in comparison with azathioprine (AZA). Rituximab is a therapeutic option to induce and maintain remission in patients with AAV.
Division of Rheumatology, J. M. Ramos Mejia Hospital, 609 General Urquiza Street, Buenos Aires, 1221, Argentina. rominahassan@gmail.com.
Romina I
RI
Hassan
Birmingham VA Medical Center, 700 19th St S., Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA.|Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, SHEL 306, Birmingham, AL, 35294-2182, USA.
Angelo L
AL
Gaffo
D056648:Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012074:Remission Induction; D000069283:Rituximab / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000069283:Rituximab
ANCA; Eosinophilicgranulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA); Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA); Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA); Rituximab; Vasculitis