Autoimmune neutropenia rituximab

[heapsreal]

Autoimmune neutropenia, as in the case of Patient 2, should be suspected in a patient with a steadily declining ANC in whom other causes of neutropenia (eg, infection, drugs/toxins, leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome) have been ruled out. As discussed before, autoimmune neutropenia is a clinical diagnosis, and assays for antineutrophil antibodies are usually unhelpful. Treatment should be considered for patients who have developed infectious complications from their neutropenia, though if possible it should be deferred until those infections have cleared. LGL-associated neutropenia responds well to low-dose methotrexate or cyclophosphamide.57,58 Interestingly, despite the fact that it is a T cell–mediated disease, autoimmune neutropenia may also respond to rituximab.59Most patients will also respond to G-CSF, although in the setting of RA, this may cause an acute exacerbation of joint symptoms.

http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/124/8/1251?sso-checked=true

 

[Jon_Tradicionali]

Fluge+Mella recently patented cyclophosphamide/Ritumixab combination for CFS.