Reumatismo (Jun 2011)

Study on the possible role of the -174G>C IL-6 promoter polymorphism in predicting response to rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis

  • F. Fischetti,
  • L.M. Bambara,
  • A. Carletto,
  • M. Cutolo,
  • P. Sarzi-Puttini,
  • R. Pellerito,
  • C. Fabro,
  • E. Pontarini,
  • M.A. Cimmino,
  • P. Morassi,
  • F. Atzeni,
  • M. Saracco,
  • M. Manfredi,
  • M. Benucci,
  • S. Lombardi,
  • L. Quartuccio,
  • M. Fabris,
  • F. Curcio,
  • E. Tonutti,
  • S. De VIta

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4081/reumatismo.2010.253
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 62, no. 4
pp. 253 – 258

Abstract

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Several studies demonstrated the efficacy of the B-cell depletion therapy with rituximab (RTX) in RA patients, including those unresponsive to anti- TNF therapy, underlying the important role of B cells in this disease (1-5). Several recent papers have demonstrated a differential effects of RTX in depleting B-cells and blocking plasma cell generation at the synovial and at the bone marrow level (7-9). This differential effect may explain why among patients who respond to RTX, some relapse while others show a very prolonged response, independently from the reappearance of B-cells in the peripheral blood (6). However, the efficacy of RTX may also depend on the individual genetic predisposition. At this regard, very few data were produced by now.