The effectiveness and safety of rituximab in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Hints from the ITHACA monocentric registry
Authors' conclusion
Although the optimal patient selection strategy remains unclear, RTX might be regarded as an effective treatment for refractory cases, particularly in oligo/polyarticular JIA, with a manageable safety profile when exposure is limited to 4 cycles.
Study context
- Population
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients (56.8 % polyarticular JIA), mostly refractory disease (45.9 % >2 prior biologics), median age 23.5 years at rituximab (RTX), ITHACA monocentric registry
- Participants
- 37 patients
- Outcome
- Effectiveness of RTX: response and remission (DAS28-CRP)
- Follow-up
- 6 months
Methodological detailssingle-centre, registry, Median RTX exposure 2.5 years; median 5 cycles per patient; median follow-up from first infusion 7.44 years
- Single-centre
- Registry
- Median RTX exposure 2.5 years; median 5 cycles per patient; median follow-up from first infusion 7.44 years
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Responded to RTX
73 %
Achieved remission
48.6 %
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Values |
|---|---|
| Discontinuation of RTX for prolonged remission · follow-up of 1.4 years | RTX 16.2 % |
- Discontinuation of RTX for prolonged remission — None requiring further biologics
- 0
DAS28-CRP · 12 months
- Trend in reducing DAS28-CRP levels persisted
Remission by ACPA positivity
- ACPA positivity improved remission rates although not significantly
Uveitis
- In most cases, uveitis did not respond to RTX
Safety
Hypogammaglobulinemia and clinically relevant infections
%
- Hypogammaglobulinemia
- 27
- Clinically relevant infections
- 27
>4 RTX cycles predicting hypogammaglobulinemia and/or infections
%
- Sensitivity
- 71.9
- Specificity
- 60.0
Original publication
The effectiveness and safety of rituximab in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Hints from the ITHACA monocentric registry. Semin Arthritis Rheum. Published 18 June 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →