Open Access Rheumatology: Research and Reviews (Dec 2017)
Systematic review of the role of rituximab in treatment of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis, hepatitis C virus-related cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, Henoch–Schönlein purpura, ankylosing spondylitis, and Raynaud's phenomenon
Abstract
Rbab Taha,1 Hadeel El-Haddad,1 Abdulqader Almuallim,2 Fatma Alshaiki,3 Elaf Obaid,2 Hani Almoallim1,2,4 1Department of Medicine, Dr Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah, 2Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, 3Department of Medicine, East Jeddah Hospital, Jeddah, 4Rheumatic Diseases, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia Abstract: Rituximab (RTX) is established for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This systematic review of the literature since 2006 summarizes evidence for the use of RTX in the treatment of additional rheumatological diseases: antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), hepatitis C virus-related cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, Henoch–Schönlein purpura, ankylosing spondylitis, and Raynaud’s phenomenon. Data from randomized controlled trials are available only for AAV, confirming efficacy for remission induction, including in disease resistant to conventional treatment, and maintenance of remission. Further studies are required to confirm optimal maintenance regimens in AAV, important questions needing to be addressed including protocol administration versus treatment in response to clinical relapse and the importance of maintaining B-cell depletion. Sufficient data are available in other diseases to suggest RTX to be useful and that randomized controlled trials should be conducted. Keywords: anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, refractory ankylosing spondylitis, resistant cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, refractory rheumatological diseases
