Reumatizam, Vol. 57 No. 2, 2010.
Conference paper
Safety of rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Jadranka Morović-Vergles
; Department for Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Clinic for Internal Medicine, Clinical Hospital “Dubrava”, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
RA is a chronic disease and long-term use of treatments that target TNF or B cells will be required for continued disease control. One approach to targeting B cells in RA is the use of rituximab. It is a genetically engineered chimeric monoclonal antibody that selectively depletes peripheral B lymphocytes by binding CD20 on the cell surface. Long-term safety data show that rituximab treatment is associated with rates of infections and serious infections that remain stable over multiple treatment courses. Also, is associated with rates of malignancy consistent with data from the general RA population and is not associated with an increase in the rate of serious infections in patients who receive subsequent biologic treatment. In conclusion, rituximab is generally safe and well tolerated.
Keywords
arthritis rheumatoides; biological agents; rituximab; safety
Hrčak ID:
124669
URI
Publication date:
14.10.2010.
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