Can rituximab induce long-term disease remission in patients with intra-ocular non-infectious inflammation?

Abstract

Treatment of non-infectious uveitis is based primarily on the use of systemic corticosteroids and second-line immunosuppressive drugs. However, their extensive side effect profile, particularly for steroids, has led to the increased use of other immunosuppressive drugs, as sparing capacity agents. Rituximab is an anti-CD20 chimeric antibody, often given as a single course of 2 infusions, resulting in complete depletion of peripheral mature B cells. While it is licensed to treat refractory systemic lymphoma patients, it has also shown promising results in systemic auto-immune diseases, where a single course of treatment is able to achieve long-term clinical remission. Treatment with rituximab has been reported for various ocular conditions, suggesting it may be effective in inducing long-term disease control and other systemic immunosuppressive agents can be reduced or discontinued. When disease relapse occurs, a further course or courses can be given with good results. This review summarizes the current evidence regarding the role of rituximab in treating non-infectious uveitis.

• Authors: Oren Tomkins-Netzer, Simon R J Taylor, Sue Lightman
• Journal: Ophthalmologica. Journal international d'ophtalmologie. International journal of ophthalmology. Zeitschrift fur Augenheilkunde (Ophthalmologica) Vol. 230 Issue 3 Pg. 109-15 ( 2013) ISSN: 1423-0267 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 23948944 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
• Antigens, CD20
• Immunologic Factors
• Rituximab

Topics

• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived (therapeutic use)
• Antigens, CD20 (immunology)
• Humans
• Immunologic Factors (therapeutic use)
• Infusions, Intravenous
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Rituximab
• Uveitis (drug therapy, immunology)