EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF REPEATED COURSES OF TREATMENT WITH RITUXIMAB IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE REFRACTORY IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS

Abstract

The treatment of patients with severe juvenile idiopathic arthritis is difficult problem. The article presents the results of a study of effectiveness and safety of repeated courses of rituximab in 55 patients with different types of juvenile arthritis, resistant to infliximab and standard inmmunosuppressive therapy. Remission of diseases was registered in 25% of patients after 1st course of treatment (24 weeks), in 52% — after 2nd course (48 weeks), in 75% — after 3rd course (72 weeks), and in 93% of patients after 4th course of treatment with rituximab (96 weeks).Key words: children, treatment, rituximab, B-cells, juvenile idiopathic arthritis.(Voprosy sovremennoi pediatrii — Current Pediatrics. 2009;8(5):19-30)