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  • Is rituximab effective for IgG4-related disease in the long term? Experience of cases treated with rituximab for 4 years

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Is rituximab effective for IgG4-related disease in the long term? Experience of cases treated with rituximab for 4 years
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  1. Motohisa Yamamoto1,
  2. Teruhito Awakawa2,
  3. Hiroki Takahashi1
  1. 1Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
  2. 2Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Sapporo Dohkohkai Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
  1. Correspondence to Dr Motohisa Yamamoto, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South 1-West 16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 0608543, Japan; mocha{at}cocoa.plala.or.jp

https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-207625

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    A prospective open-label trial of rituximab (RTX) for IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) was recently described in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases by Carruthers et al.1 According to their results, RTX is effective as induction therapy for IgG4-RD without glucocorticoid in the short term. We agree and support their results. We have also prescribed RTX for typical cases of IgG4-RD, showing characteristics of younger age, experience of several relapses, no history of hepatitis B and, since 2011, hesitation to increase the dose of glucocorticoid due to complications. We are currently treating three cases using RTX. Our protocol is as follows. We prescribe 500 mg/body of RTX at the onset of relapse. Meanwhile, the dose of glucocorticoid is decreased as much as possible. The patients visit our hospital for blood tests once every few months. Whole-body CT is routinely performed once a year. When relapse is suspected, we examine the whole body by CT. …

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