Tuyển tập các báo cáo nghiên cứu về y học được đăng trên tạp chí y học General Psychiatry cung cấp cho các bạn kiến thức về ngành y đề tài: B-cell depletion with rituximab: a promising treatment for diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. | van Laar Arthritis Research Therapy 2010 12 112 http content 12 2 112 EDITORIAL L_ B-cell depletion with rituximab a promising treatment for diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis Jacob M van Laar See related research by Bosello etal. http content 12 2 R54 Abstract Recent preclinical and clinical studies lend support to the notion that B-cell depletion is a promising therapeutic target in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. A recent open-label trial provides further evidence showing marked effects of rituximab treatment on skin thickening functional ability and disease activity in conjunction with effects on lesional and circulating B cells and on interleukin-6 and BAFF B-cell activating factor of tumor necrosis factor family . The excellent safety profile of rituximab in this and other trials warrants further well-designed clinical trials in larger patient groups combined with comprehensive biomarker studies. No drug should be discarded until it has been tried in systemic sclerosis . A phrase of this sort can still be found in many textbooks and reviews on systemic sclerosis SSC but the time has come to raise our expectations. The study by Bosello and colleagues 1 in this issue of Arthritis Research Therapy provides tantalizing data on the effects of rituximab in nine patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis dcSSc nonresponsive to cyclophosphamide. A single treatment course induced a consistent and sustained improvement of skin thickening disease activity and functional ability notably in the seven patients with early disease. In those with organ involvement function remained stable. Retreatment was given in one patient with clinical relapse and preemptively in two patients who had rapid reconstitution of B cells. The clinical effects were paralleled by biological effects including depletion of circulating B cells and Correspondence Musculoskeletal Research Group
