Intervention Autoantibodies and other markers Was clinical endpoint met? Rituximab 500–1000 mg 2 weeks apart Rituximab 1000 mg on days 1, 15, 168, 182 Increase of BLyS of 118% Improvement of BILAG score in patients with SLE No statistically significant change in lupus nephritis activity SLE Cambridge et al.1 Furie et al.2 Lu et al.3 Merrill et al.4 Rituximab 1000 mg, 750 mg of cyclophosphamide, 100–250 mg of methylprednisolone 2 weeks apart Rituximab 1000 mg on days 1,15, 168, 182 Tew et al..5 Rituximab 1000 mg on day 1, 15, 168, 182 Wallace et al.6 Belimumab (1,4,10 mg) given at days 0,14, and 28. Then q28 days. RA Cambridge et al.7 Cohen et al.8 Emery et al.9 Thurlings et al.10 ANCA vasculitis Stone et al.11 Rituximab in range doses Rituximab 1000 mg on days 1 and 15 Ritixumab 500 or 1000 mg on days 1 and 15 Rituximab 1000 mg on days 1 and 15 Rituximab 375 mg/m2 qweekly for 4 weeks Statistically significant decrease of dsDNA Statistically significant increase of C3 *Similar levels of decrease in dsDNA and C3 in responders and nonresponders Decrease of dsDNA 60% Increase of C3 16% Improvement of BILAG score in patients with SLE Decrease of dsDNA 76% in patients with detectable anti-dsDNA at baseline Increase of C3 of 129% in patients who began with a low complement level Increase of C4 of 173% in patients who began with a low complement level No significant changes in Anti RNP, antiSm, anti-Ro, or anti-LA. Statistically significant decrease in dsDNA Statistically significant decrease in IgM and IgG anti-cardiolipin Decrease of dsDNA at 29% Increase of C3 at 22% No significant benefit in SLE activity Significant decrease of IgA-RF, IgG-RF, and ACPA levels in patient responders to rituximab Decrease of RF of 55% in patients who are RF positive at baseline Decrease in IgM RF ranging from 11.5% to 47.9% in patient s treated with rituximab with baseline positive RF Statistically significant decrease of IgMRF Statistically significant decrease of ACPA Significant clinical improvement in patients with RA 47% of the treatment group who were ANCA positive became negative at 6 months Rituximab was shown to be noninferior to cyclophosphomide in treatment of ANCA vasculitis No significant clinical benefit in SLE disease activity Reduction of SLE disease activity was not significant Significant clinical improvement in patients with RA Significant clinical improvement in patients with RA N/A Abbreviations: ACPA, anti-citrillunated protein antibody; ANCA, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies; anti-RNP, anti-ribonucleic protein; anti-Sm, anti Smith; BILAG; British Isles Assessment Group; BLyS, B Lymphocyte Stimulator; C3, complement 3; C4, complement 4; dsDNA, double stranded DNA; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RF, rheumatoid factor; SLAM, Systemic Lupus Activity Measure; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus. References 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Cambridge, G., et al. B cell depletion therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus: relationships among serum B lymphocyte stimulator levels, autoantibody profile and clinical response. Ann Rheum Dis 67, 1011-1016 (2008). Furie, R., Rovin, B., Appel, G., Kamen, D.L., Fervenza, F.C., Spindler, A., et al. Effect of Rituximab (RTX) On Anti-dsDNA and C3 Levels and Relationship to Response: Results From the LUNAR Trial [abstract]. Arthritis Rheum 60, 271 (2009). Lu, T.Y., et al. A retrospective seven-year analysis of the use of B cell depletion therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus at University College London Hospital: the first fifty patients. Arthritis Rheum 61, 482-487 (2009). Merrill, J.T., et al. Efficacy and safety of rituximab in moderately-to-severely active systemic lupus erythematosus: the randomized, double-blind, phase II/III systemic lupus erythematosus evaluation of rituximab trial. Arthritis Rheum 62, 222-233. Tew, G.W., et al. Baseline autoantibody profiles predict normalization of complement and anti-dsDNA autoantibody levels following rituximab treatment in systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus 19, 146-157. Wallace, D.J., et al. A phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, doseranging study of belimumab in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 61, 1168-1178 (2009). Cambridge, G., et al. Serologic changes following B lymphocyte depletion therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 48, 2146-2154 (2003). Cohen, S.B., et al. Rituximab for rheumatoid arthritis refractory to anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy: Results of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III trial evaluating primary efficacy and safety at twenty-four weeks. Arthritis Rheum 54, 2793-2806 (2006). Emery, P., et al. The efficacy and safety of rituximab in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate treatment: results of a phase IIB randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trial. Arthritis Rheum 54, 1390-1400 (2006). Thurlings, R.M., et al. Synovial tissue response to rituximab: mechanism of action and identification of biomarkers of response. Ann Rheum Dis 67, 917-925 (2008). Stone, J.H., et al. Rituximab versus cyclophosphamide for ANCA-associated vasculitis. N Engl J Med 363, 221-232 (2010).