Rituximab for myasthenia gravis: Three case reports and review of the literature
- 15 May 2009
- journal article
- case report
- Published by Elsevier BV in Journal of the Neurological Sciences
- Vol. 280 (1-2), 120-122
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2009.02.357
Abstract
In generalized myasthenia gravis (MG), a wide array of immunosuppressive and immunomodulating treatments is being used in clinical practice, but most drugs lack evidence from randomized controlled trials supporting their use. Furthermore, many patients develop serious side effects or do not respond sufficiently to these drugs. We report three patients with generalized MG who were treated with rituximab, a monoclonal antibody against CD20+ cells that causes prolonged B cell depletion. In all three patients, treatment with rituximab led to a sustained clinical improvement and discontinuation or reduction of prednisolone and other drugs. Rituximab was well tolerated. Therapy with rituximab was guided by the total count of peripheral B lymphocytes. Reviewing the anecdotal literature on rituximab for MG, we conclude that preliminary data on the efficacy and safety of rituximab are encouraging and that further studies in MG seem warranted.This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit:
- Response to Therapy in Myasthenia Gravis with Anti‐MuSK AntibodiesAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2008
- Steroids and immunosuppressant drugs in myasthenia gravisNature Clinical Practice Neurology, 2008
- When the patient fails to respond to treatment: myasthenia gravisPractical Neurology, 2007
- Antibodies to AChR, MuSK and VGKC in a patient with myasthenia gravis and Morvan's syndromeNature Clinical Practice Neurology, 2007
- Rituximab in refractory MuSK antibody myasthenia gravisZeitschrift für Neurologie, 2007
- Complete remission induced by rituximab in refractory, seronegative, muscle-specific, kinase-positive myasthenia gravisJournal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 2006
- Guidelines for the treatment of autoimmune neuromuscular transmission disordersEuropean Journal of Neurology, 2006
- Successful treatment of MuSK antibody–positive myasthenia gravis with rituximabMuscle & Nerve, 2005
- Successful treatment of refractory myasthenia gravis using rituximab: a pediatric case reportThe Journal of Pediatrics, 2003
- Rituximab for myasthenia gravis developing after bone marrow transplantNeurology, 2000