CASE REPORT - Rituximab in the treatment of refractory dermatomyositis

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J Clin Rheumatol. 2005 Oct;11(5):264-6.

Rituximab in the treatment of refractory dermatomyositis.

Chiappetta N, Steier J, Gruber B.

Department of Rheumatology, Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook,

New York 11794, USA. nhazlett@...

Dermatomyositis is an inflammatory myopathy characterized by muscle weakness

and inflammation. In contrast to polymyositis and inclusion body myositis,

humoral immune mechanisms appear to contribute to the pathogenesis of

dermatomyositis. A 56-year-old man with dermatomyositis resistant to

conventional therapies was treated with 6 weekly infusions of the anti-CD-20

monoclonal antibody, rituximab, at a dosage of 100 mg/m in addition to other

agents. The patient demonstrated a remarkable clinical response as indicated

by an increase in muscle strength and a decline in creatine kinase enzymes.

B-cell depletion therapy with rituximab used alone or in combination with

other immunosuppressive therapies may be a viable option in patients with

dermatomyositis as well as other autoimmune diseases refractory to current

therapies.

PMID: 16357773

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstra\

ct & list_uids=16357773 & itool=iconabstr & query_hl=1 & itool=pubmed_DocSum

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