Clinical and immunological effects of Rituximab in patients with lupus nephritis refractory to conventional therapy: a pilot study

Table 1 Main clinical data of SLE patients studied

Patient	Age (years)/gender	Disease duration (years)	Main clinical manifestation	Nephritis stage/duration^a	Disease activity^b	Previous therapy	Current therapy^c
1	41/F	15	Ou, Ar, Le, Ly	IV/8	12	GC, Cyc, Aza	GC, Aza
2	24/M	4	Er, Ph, Le	IV/4	10	GC, Aza, Mmf, CsA	GC, Mmf
3	36/F	6	Er, Ph, Ou, Ar, Le, Ly	III/6	14	GC, Aza, CsA	GC, Aza, Mtx
4	19/M	5	Le	IV/4	8	GC, Cyc, Mmf	GC
5	56/F	12	Er, Ph, Ou, Se, Ar	IV/3	15	GC, Cyc, Mmf, Aza	GC, Mmf
6	9/M	1	Er, Ph, Se, Ar	IV/1	12	GC, Mmf, Mtx, Aza, Cy	GC, Aza, Mtx, Mmf
7	26/F	11	Er, Ph, Ou, Se, Ar, Le	IV/4	10	GC, Mtx, Aza	GC, Mtx, Aza
8	31/F	16	Ph, Ou, Se, Ar, CNS	IV/8	10	GC, Cyc, Lfm, Aza, Mtx, Mmf	GC, Aza, Mtx, Mmf, Cyc
9	23/F	3	Ph, Ou, Se, Ar, CNS	IV/3	12	GC, Mmf, Aza, Cyc, Mtx	GC, Mtx, Mmf
10	32/F	6	Er, Ph, Ou, Ar, Ly	IV/6	8	GC, Mtx, Aza, Cyc	Aza
11	24/F	2	Er, Ph, Ou, Se	III/2	9	GC, Mtx, Aza	Aza, Mtx, Mmf
12	27/F	13	Er, Ph, Ou, Se, Ly	IV/13	19	GC, Mmf, Cyc, Aza	GC, Aza, Mtx, Mmf
13	43/F	6	Er, Ph, Le	IV/6	9	GC, Mtx, Aza, Pdn	Mtx
14	21/F	8	Er, Ph, Ou, Se, Ly	V/8	9	GC, Mtx, Aza, Cyc, Mmf	None
15	36/F	1	Er, Ph, Ly	V/1	10	GC, Aza	Aza
16	25/F	1	Er, Ou, Se, Ly, CNS	IV/1	11	GC, Aza, Mtx	GC
17	33/F	8	Er, Ph, Ou, Se, Ar, Le	IV/8	10	GC, Aza, Mtx, Mmf, Cq	GC, Aza, Mtx, Mmf
18^d	28/F	3	Er, Ph, Ou, Se, Le, Ly	IV/3	9	GC, Cyc, Aza, Mmf, Mtx, Cq	GC, Aza, Mtx, Mmf
19	40/F	4	Er, Ph, Ou, Se, Ar	IV/4	10	GC, Aza, Mtx	Aza
20	19/F	1	A, Le, Ly	IV/1	10	GC, Aza, Mtx, Mmf	GC, Aza, Mmf
21	24/F	4	Er, Ph, Le	IV/3	10	GC, Aza, Mtx, Mmf, Cyc	GC, Aza, Mtx
22	22/F	1	Ou, Ar, Le, Se	IV/1	10	GC, Aza, Mtx, Mmf, Cq	GC, Aza, Mtx, Mmf

^aAccording to the WHO classification [33]; duration is in years. ^bAccording to the MEX-SLEDAI index. ^cImmunosuppressive therapy to which Rituximab was added. ^dThis patient had invasive histoplasmosis of the lungs with massive hemorrhage and mucormycosis of a coronary artery; she died at day 70 of Rituximab therapy. Ar, arthritis; Aza, azathioprine; Cfm, cyclophosphamide; Cq, chloroquine; CNS, central nervous system disease; Er, erythema; GC, glucocorticoids; Le, leukopenia; Lfm, leflunomide; Ly, severe lymphopenia (lymphocyte count <1,000 cells/mm³); Mmf, mycophenolate mofetil; Mtx, methotrexate; N, nephritis; Ou, oral ulcers; Ph, photosensitivity; Se, serositis.

ISSN: 1478-6362