Efficacy of rituximab treatment in a cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Keywords:
Artritis reumatoide, Rituximab.Abstract
Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease that causes chronic joint inflammation. Treatment includes the use of disease-modifying drugs with conventional synthetic antirheumatics, targeted synthetics, and biologics such as rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody that binds to the CD20 molecule on B lymphocytes to deplete them. This treatment is not curative and requires the administration of effective cycles.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of rituximab treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Methods: An observational, retrospective study was conducted with 114 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and treated with intravenous rituximab in the protocolized consultation at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Surgical Clinical Hospital between May 2004 and June 2020, with follow-up until May 2021.
Results: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis were predominantly female, non-white, and had dyslipidemia and hypertension as their main comorbidities. The mean duration of rituximab between cycles to maintain an adequate response was ten months (range 7-13 months). The number of cycles, seropositivity, and therapy, as first- or second-line biological treatment, were associated with a longer duration of favorable response.
Conclusions: Treatment with rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis produces remission in most of them, a good biological response, and a low frequency of adverse effects.
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