%0 Journal Article
%T Rituximab in the treatment of progressive interstitial lung disease associated with the antisynthetase syndrome.
%A Narváez J
%A Cañadillas E
%A Castellví I
%A Alegre JJ
%A Vincens-Zygmunt V
%A Bermudo G
%A Vidal-Montal P
%A Molina Molina M
%A Nolla JM
%J Arthritis Res Ther
%V 26
%N 1
%D 2024 Jun 18
%M 38890654
%F 5.606
%R 10.1186/s13075-024-03353-2
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To assess the real-world, long-term effectiveness of rituximab (RTX) as a rescue therapy in patients with antisynthetase syndrome and progressive interstitial lung disease (ASS-ILD).<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Multicentre observational retrospective longitudinal study of a cohort of patients with ASS-ILD that started treatment with RTX due to recurrent or ongoing progressive ILD despite therapy with glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Twenty-eight patients were analyzed. Examining the entire study population, before treatment with RTX the mean decline in %pFVC and %pDLCO from the ASS-ILD diagnosis to the initiation of RTX treatment (T0) was -6.44% and -14.85%, respectively. After six months of treatment, RTX reversed the decline in pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters: ∆%pFVC +6.29% (95% CI: -10.07 to 2.51; p=0.002 compared to T0) and ∆%pDLCO +6.15% (95% CI: -10.86 to -1.43; p=0.013). Twenty-four patients completed one year of therapy and 22 two years, maintaining the response in PFT: ∆%pFVC: +9.93% (95% CI: -15.61 to -4.25; p=0.002) and ∆%pDLCO: +7.66% (95% CI: -11.67 to -3.65; p<0.001). In addition, there was a significant reduction in the median dose of prednisone, and it could be suspended in 18% of cases. In 33% of patients who required oxygen therapy at the start of treatment, it could be discontinued. The frequency of adverse events reached 28.5% of cases.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Based on our results, RTX appears to be effective as rescue therapy in most patients with recurrent or progressive ASS-ILD unresponsive to conventional treatment. The use of RTX was well tolerated in the majority of patients.