scholarly journals Peripheral Blood B Cell Depletion after Rituximab and Complete Response in Lupus Nephritis

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1502-1509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliana Michelle Gomez Mendez ◽  
Matthew D. Cascino ◽  
Jay Garg ◽  
Tamiko R. Katsumoto ◽  
Paul Brakeman ◽  
...  

Background and objectivesIncomplete peripheral blood B cell depletion after rituximab in lupus nephritis might correlate with inability to reduce tubulointerstitial lymphoid aggregates in the kidney, which together could be responsible for inadequate response to treatment. We utilized data from the Lupus Nephritis Assessment with Rituximab (LUNAR) study to characterize the variability of peripheral blood B cell depletion after rituximab and assess its association with complete response in patients with lupus nephritis.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsWe analyzed 68 participants treated with rituximab. Peripheral blood B cell depletion was defined as 0 cells/µl, termed “complete peripheral depletion,” assessed over 78 weeks. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between characteristics of complete peripheral depletion and complete response (defined as urine protein-to-creatinine ratio <0.5 mg/mg, and normal serum creatinine or an increase in creatinine <15%, if normal at baseline), assessed at week 78.ResultsA total of 53 (78%) participants achieved complete peripheral depletion (0 cells/µl) in a median time of 182 days (interquartile range, 80–339).The median duration of complete peripheral depletion was 71 days (interquartile range, 14–158). Twenty-five (47%) participants with complete peripheral depletion achieved complete response, compared with two (13%) without. Complete peripheral depletion was associated with complete response (unadjusted odds ratio [OR], 5.8; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.2 to 28; P=0.03). Longer time to achieving complete peripheral depletion was associated with a lower likelihood of complete response (unadjusted OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.81 to 0.98; P=0.02). Complete peripheral depletion lasting >71 days (the median) was associated with complete response (unadjusted OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.5 to 11; P=0.008).ConclusionsThere was substantial variability in peripheral blood B cell depletion in patients with lupus nephritis treated with rituximab from the LUNAR trial. Achievement of complete peripheral depletion, as well as the rapidity and duration of complete peripheral depletion, were associated with complete response at week 78.PodcastThis article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2018_09_06_CJASNPodcast_18_10_.mp3

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (24) ◽  
pp. 5181-5190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik E. Mei ◽  
Daniela Frölich ◽  
Claudia Giesecke ◽  
Christoph Loddenkemper ◽  
Karin Reiter ◽  
...  

AbstractThe anti-CD20 antibody rituximab depletes human B cells from peripheral blood, but it remains controversial to what extent tissue-resident B cells are affected. In representative patients with rheumatoid arthritis, we here demonstrate that recently activated presumably short-lived plasmablasts expressing HLA-DRhigh and Ki-67 continuously circulate in peripheral blood after B-cell depletion by rituximab at 26%-119% of their initial numbers. They circulate independent of splenectomy, express immunoglobulin A (IgA), β7 integrin, and C-C motif receptor 10 (CCR10) and migrate along CCL28 gradients in vitro, suggesting their mucosal origin. These plasmablasts express somatically hypermutated VH gene rearrangements and spontaneously secrete IgA, exhibiting binding to microbial antigens. Notably, IgA+ plasmablasts and plasma cells were identified in the lamina propria of patients treated with rituximab during peripheral B-cell depletion. Although a relation of these “steady state”–like plasmablasts with rheumatoid arthritis activity could not be found, their persistence during B-cell depletion indicates that their precursors, that is, B cells resident in the mucosa are not deleted by this treatment. These data suggest that a population of mucosal B cells is self-sufficient in adult humans and not replenished by CD20+ B cells immigrating from blood, lymphoid tissue, or bone marrow, that is, B cells depleted by rituximab.


2015 ◽  
Vol 74 (Suppl 2) ◽  
pp. 901.2-901
Author(s):  
L. Merino Meléndez ◽  
J. Lόpez Lόpez ◽  
I. Llorente ◽  
S. Castañeda Sanz ◽  
F. Herrera ◽  
...  

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 1400-1400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Hagenbeek ◽  
Torben Plesner ◽  
Jan Walewski ◽  
Andrzej Hellmann ◽  
Brian K. Link ◽  
...  

Abstract HuMax-CD20 is a fully human monoclonal IgG1 antibody targeting a unique extracellular epitope of the CD20 molecule on B-cells. HuMax-CD20 stops growth of engrafted B-cell tumors in SCID mouse tumor models more efficiently than Rituximab®, and i.v. infusion of HuMax-CD20 in cynomolgus monkeys has led to profound, long lasting, dose-dependent B-cell depletion. A total of 40 patients with CD20+ relapsed or refractory follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma grade I-II will be enrolled in this open-label, dose-escalating, international, multi-center clinical trial. Cohorts of 10 patients will receive i.v. infusions at doses of either 300, 500, 700 or 1000 mg once weekly for 4 weeks. The patients are followed for 12 months. Patients receive oral acetaminophen and i.v. antihistamin before infusion. In case of adverse events of CTC grade 3 or higher, i.v. glucocorticosteroids are given. The endpoints are CT scan verified tumor response according to the Cheson criteria, B-cell depletion in peripheral blood and lymph nodes, time to next anti-lymphoma treatment, duration of response, BCL2 conversion, pharmacokinetics, and adverse events. Tumor and bone marrow biopsies and CT scans are assessed centrally. The first 17 patients treated with HuMax-CD20 are the subject of this report. Mean age is 60 years. In the 300 mg group all 10 patients have received all 4 infusions. Seven patients have been enrolled in the 500 mg group; three of them have received 4 infusions, two have received 3 infusions, and two patients have received 2 infusions. Baseline B-cell count was in the range of 11-382 x 106 cells per L with a median of 114 x 106. One week after the first infusion the median B-cell count available in 16 patients was 8 x 106 cells per L with a range of 0–19 x 106. In six of the 16 patients no B-cells were detected. B-cell counts measured one week after the 4th infusion are available for 10 patients. Eight patients had no detectable B-cells, one patient had 11 x 106 and one had 34 x 106 cells per L. B-cell counts eight weeks after the 4th infusion are available for two patients. No B-cells were detectable in these two patients. No dose limiting toxicity has been reported with administration of 300 or 500 mg. One serious adverse event assessed as not related to HuMax-CD20 has been reported in the 300 mg group. Infusion related adverse events have primarily been seen during the first infusion of HuMax-CD20. The events have, as expected, predominantly been signs and symptoms of cytokine release, e.g. pruritus, dyspnoea, rigors/chills, nausea, hypotension, urticaria, fatigue, fever and rash. In 15 of the 17 patients, 51 adverse events have been reported. Nine adverse events were CTC grade 3, 16 were grade 2, and 26 events were grade 1. In conclusion, this analysis based on preliminary data for the first 17 patients treated with HuMax-CD20 demonstrated significant depletion of peripheral blood B-cells and a favorable safety profile. An updated report of results for all 40 patients including preliminary tumor response data will be presented.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e0128269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana G. Adlowitz ◽  
Jennifer Barnard ◽  
Jamie N. Biear ◽  
Christopher Cistrone ◽  
Teresa Owen ◽  
...  

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