Rituximab as a rescue therapy in patients with glomerulonephritis.

Rituximab as a rescue therapy in patients with glomerulonephritis. Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl. 2015 Jan-Feb;26(1):47-55 Authors: Souqiyyeh MZ, Shaheen FA, Alsuwaida A, Alghonaim M, Alwakeel J, Mosa D, Akhtar F, Rahman E, Husain M, Roujouleh H, Siddiqi N, Bukhari I, Sadaqa N, Mushtaque F, Awn NM, Shariya F, Alfi A, Amin M, Ahmad M, Rowaie FA, Almueilo S, Kechrid MC, Karkar A Abstract To evaluate the use of rituximab in the treatment of severe glomerulonephritis (GN) in order to prevent progression of kidney disease toward the end stage, we designed a multicenter, retrospective study in Saudi Arabia about the efficacy and safety of the use of "off label" rituximab in a variety of severe refractory GN to conventional treatment and the progression of kidney disease for at least one year of follow-up. All the patients had kidney biopsies before treatment with rituximab, and proteinuria and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were followed-up for the period of the study. The immediate side-effect at the time of administration of rituximab included itching in three patients, hypotension in one patient and anaphylaxis in one patient (dropped out from the study). After the administration of rituximab in 42 patients and during the first six months of therapy, 16 (38%) patients had complete remission (CR), 13 (31%) patients had partial remission (PR) and 13 (31%) patients had no remission. The mean follow-up period for the patients was 19.0 ± 6.9...
Source: Saudi Journal of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation - Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Tags: Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl Source Type: research