ANCA-ASSOCIATED VASCULITIS: PRIMARY IMMUNODEFICIENCY OR SECONDARY TO B-CELL DEPLETION? A COMPARISON OF B-CELL REPOPULATION AFTER RITUXIMAB IN AAV, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE

Author(s):  
Nils Venhoff
2010 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 2181-2188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inmaculada de la Torre ◽  
Rita A Moura ◽  
Maria J Leandro ◽  
Jonathan Edwards ◽  
Geraldine Cambridge

ObjectivesTo examine the expression of B-cell-activating factor receptor (BAFF-R) on naive CD27− and memory CD27+ B cells in normal individuals and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing B-cell depletion therapy with rituximab.Patients and MethodsBAFF-R expression on B-cell subsets was determined in normal controls (NC; n=11), active patients with RA pre-rituximab (pre-RX; n=15), relapsing patients either concordant for B-cell repopulation (C-R, n=13) or discordant, with relapse more than 3 months after repopulation (D-R, n=11) and patients in remission over 3 months postrepopulation (discordant non-relapsing (D-NR), n=5). Serum BAFF was measured by ELISA and analysed using Mann–Whitney.ResultsThere was no significant difference between NC, pre-RX and D-NR patients in %BAFF-R-positive B cells or mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) in naive and memory B cells. Relapsing patients had significantly lower MFI and %BAFF-R-positive cells in both naive and memory compartments from NC and pre-RX (C-R and D-R; p<0.01). BAFF levels in pre-RX patients were within the normal range and did not correlate with BAFF-R expression in any patient group. D-NR patients had relatively lower proportions of pre and postswitch CD27+ B cells than pre-RX patients (D-NR vs pre-RX; p<0.05 for both) and also lower numbers of postswitch B cells than D-R patients (D-NR vs D-R, p<0.05).ConclusionBAFF-R expression was significantly reduced on both naive and memory B cells in patients at relapse, regardless of the relationship with B-cell repopulation or serum BAFF levels. Re-establishment of active disease was also associated with an increase in class-switch recombination. Factors responsible for lower levels of BAFF-R may relate to altered thresholds for autoreactive B-cell generation at relapse in patients with RA.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Salviani ◽  
Alessandra Gina Gregorini ◽  
Guido Jeannin ◽  
Federico Alberici ◽  
Giovanni Cancarini ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims Rituximab (RTX) is one of the mainstays of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) treatment. Nevertheless, studies specifically addressing the B cell repopulation in AAV patients after remission induction with RTX are still scanty and with conflicting results. Moreover, the role of B cell monitoring in the management of RTX-based maintenance therapy still remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, we evaluated B cell repopulation after a single course of RTX in treatment-naïve patients with AAV. Method We included all consecutive patients with new diagnosis of AAV from December 2009 to December 2017, treated with a single course of RTX for remission induction, with a follow-up ≥12 months. B cell recovery, re-treatment for relapse or rise in ANCA titer and scheduled re-treatment were considered as the termination of observation period. B cell count was performed by flow cytometry (Beckman Coulter Navios©) every 2 weeks during the 1st month, every 4 weeks until the 6th month, then every 12 weeks. B cell recovery was defined as CD19 count ≥10 cells/μl. Results Seventy-four patients (38% M, 62% F) met the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 63±21 years. MPA, GPA and EGPA were diagnosed in 49 (66%), 24 (33%) and 1 (1%) patients, respectively. ANCA were positive in 65 (88%) patients, with 50 (68%) anti-MPO and 15 (20%) anti-PR3. Overall median follow-up was 40 months (IQR 25-60). All patients achieved remission and complete B cell depletion after RTX. Twenty-two (31%) patients received plasma-exchange and 20 (29%) steroid pulses. Maintenance therapy with azathioprine or methotrexate was started in 10 (14%) patients. Seventeen (23%) patients received re-treatment with RTX (10 patients for relapses, the remaining cases for B cell recovery and/or a rise in ANCA titre or scheduled re-treatment). B cell recovery was observed in 39 (53%) patients, after a median time of 27 months (IQR 20-38). Particularly, only 7% of patients recovered B cells at 12 months (Figure 1). Univariate analysis showed significant correlation of persistent B-cell depletion with diagnosis of MPA vs GPA (p&lt;0.001), ANCA anti-MPO vs anti-PR3 (p=0.009), higher serum creatinine (p&lt;0.0001) and older age (p=0.004) (Figure 2). Sex, plasma-exchange at induction, steroid pulses, cumulative dose of RTX and maintenance therapy did not affect B cell recovery. Multivariate analysis confirmed significant association between B cell recovery and better renal function (RR 2.655, IC 1.254-5.615, p= 0.011) and clinical diagnosis of GPA (RR 2.466, IC 1.211-5.021, p=0.013). Conclusion After a single course of RTX for remission induction, we observed a very long-lasting B cell depletion in the large majority of our patients. Clinical diagnosis of MPA and a worse renal function were significantly correlated to persistent B cell depletion. These data question the need for scheduled RTX re-treatments in all AAV patients regardless of clinical diagnosis and features.


Author(s):  
Laura S van Dam ◽  
Ebru Dirikgil ◽  
Edwin W Bredewold ◽  
Argho Ray ◽  
Jaap A Bakker ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The primary challenge of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) patient care is the early detection of relapses to prevent organ damage and increase survival. Potential biomarkers for relapses are ANCA and B cells, but their predictive value is a matter of debate. Therefore this study investigated how ANCA and B-cell status related to relapses in AAV patients treated with rituximab (RTX) as remission induction (RI). Methods This single-centre cohort study identified 110 ANCA-positive AAV patients treated with RTX between 2006 and 2018. Serial ANCA, CD19+ B-cell status and relapses were assessed &gt;2 years. Results Patients (31/110) relapsed within 2 years after RTX RI treatment. Patients who achieved and maintained PR3-ANCA negativity (n = 29) had few relapses (3%), while persistent proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA positivity (n = 49) and reappearance of PR3-ANCAs (n = 10) associated significantly with more relapses (37%, P = 0.002 and 50%, P = 0.002). Patients with incomplete B-cell depletion (n = 11) had significantly more relapses (54%) as compared with patients with B-cell depletion [n = 76 (26%), P = 0.02]. Also, patients with repopulation of B cells (n = 58) had significantly more relapses (41%) as compared with patients without B-cell repopulation [n = 27 (15%), P = 0.03]. Overall, the absence of PR3- or myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA positivity was highly predictive for remaining relapse-free. In PR3-ANCA-positive patients, 96% of the relapses occurred with persistent or reappearance of PR3-ANCAs and 81% with B-cell repopulation. In MPO-ANCA-positive patients, all relapses were restricted to patients with persistent MPO-ANCAs and B-cell repopulation. Conclusions Upon RI treatment with RTX in AAV patients, ANCA and B-cell status were predictive of the majority of relapses and specifically their absence strongly predicted a relapse-free status. Therefore the implementation of ANCA and B-cell monitoring could guide therapeutic decision-making to prevent relapses in AAV patients treated with RTX.


2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. R57 ◽  
Author(s):  
YK Onno Teng ◽  
Gillian Wheater ◽  
Vanessa E Hogan ◽  
Philip Stocks ◽  
EW Nivine Levarht ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 69 (Suppl 2) ◽  
pp. A12-A12
Author(s):  
S Vosslamber ◽  
H G Raterman ◽  
M Schreurs ◽  
T van der Pouw Kraan ◽  
M T Nurmohamed ◽  
...  

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.


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