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Rituximab in clinical practice : dosage, drug adherence, Ig levels, infections, and drug antibodies

Einarsson, Jon Thorkell LU orcid ; Evert, Max ; Geborek, Pierre LU ; Saxne, Tore LU ; Lundgren, Maria LU and Kapetanovic, Meliha C. LU (2017) In Clinical Rheumatology 36(12). p.2743-2750
Abstract

The objective of this study is to explore the following: (1) the impact of two different initial doses and cumulative 2-year dose of rituximab (RTX) on drug adherence and predictors of adherence to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in an observational clinical setting, (2) immunoglobulin levels (IgG/IgM/IgA) during repeated treatment and their relation to infections, and (3) development of anti-rituximab antibodies (ADA). All RA patients receiving RTX from January 2003 to April 2012 at the department were included. The initiating doses were 500 or 1000 mg intravenously days 1 and 15. Drug adherence was estimated using life-table. Baseline predictors of adherence to treatment were analyzed using Cox regression model. Levels... (More)

The objective of this study is to explore the following: (1) the impact of two different initial doses and cumulative 2-year dose of rituximab (RTX) on drug adherence and predictors of adherence to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in an observational clinical setting, (2) immunoglobulin levels (IgG/IgM/IgA) during repeated treatment and their relation to infections, and (3) development of anti-rituximab antibodies (ADA). All RA patients receiving RTX from January 2003 to April 2012 at the department were included. The initiating doses were 500 or 1000 mg intravenously days 1 and 15. Drug adherence was estimated using life-table. Baseline predictors of adherence to treatment were analyzed using Cox regression model. Levels of immunoglobulins were measured at treatment initiation and before retreatment. Serum levels of RTX and ADA were measured in 96 patients at 6 months using ELISA. One hundred fifty-three patients were included. Seventy-four (48%) started treatment with 500 and 79 (52%) with 1000 mg. No difference in drug adherence was seen between the different initial or cumulative RTX doses. Methotrexate (MTX) use and low DAS28 at baseline predicted better drug adherence. Ig levels decreased with repeated treatments but low levels were not associated with infections. 11/96 patients had developed ADA at 6 months. Long-term adherence to RTX in RA patient was not influenced by starting- or cumulative 2-year doses. MTX use and low DAS28 at baseline was positively associated with drug adherence. Decreasing Ig levels during treatment were not associated with risk of infections. Development of ADA may influence treatment efficacy and tolerability.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adherence to treatment, Anti-rituximab antibodies, Immunoglobulins, Rheumatoid arthritis, Rituximab
in
Clinical Rheumatology
volume
36
issue
12
pages
2743 - 2750
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000415158300014
  • pmid:28980088
  • scopus:85030564175
ISSN
0770-3198
DOI
10.1007/s10067-017-3848-6
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c515e514-2af8-4853-8718-f0769e9b1c00
date added to LUP
2017-11-02 13:55:53
date last changed
2024-03-31 18:10:47
@article{c515e514-2af8-4853-8718-f0769e9b1c00,
  abstract     = {{<p>The objective of this study is to explore the following: (1) the impact of two different initial doses and cumulative 2-year dose of rituximab (RTX) on drug adherence and predictors of adherence to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in an observational clinical setting, (2) immunoglobulin levels (IgG/IgM/IgA) during repeated treatment and their relation to infections, and (3) development of anti-rituximab antibodies (ADA). All RA patients receiving RTX from January 2003 to April 2012 at the department were included. The initiating doses were 500 or 1000 mg intravenously days 1 and 15. Drug adherence was estimated using life-table. Baseline predictors of adherence to treatment were analyzed using Cox regression model. Levels of immunoglobulins were measured at treatment initiation and before retreatment. Serum levels of RTX and ADA were measured in 96 patients at 6 months using ELISA. One hundred fifty-three patients were included. Seventy-four (48%) started treatment with 500 and 79 (52%) with 1000 mg. No difference in drug adherence was seen between the different initial or cumulative RTX doses. Methotrexate (MTX) use and low DAS28 at baseline predicted better drug adherence. Ig levels decreased with repeated treatments but low levels were not associated with infections. 11/96 patients had developed ADA at 6 months. Long-term adherence to RTX in RA patient was not influenced by starting- or cumulative 2-year doses. MTX use and low DAS28 at baseline was positively associated with drug adherence. Decreasing Ig levels during treatment were not associated with risk of infections. Development of ADA may influence treatment efficacy and tolerability.</p>}},
  author       = {{Einarsson, Jon Thorkell and Evert, Max and Geborek, Pierre and Saxne, Tore and Lundgren, Maria and Kapetanovic, Meliha C.}},
  issn         = {{0770-3198}},
  keywords     = {{Adherence to treatment; Anti-rituximab antibodies; Immunoglobulins; Rheumatoid arthritis; Rituximab}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{2743--2750}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Clinical Rheumatology}},
  title        = {{Rituximab in clinical practice : dosage, drug adherence, Ig levels, infections, and drug antibodies}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10067-017-3848-6}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10067-017-3848-6}},
  volume       = {{36}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}