Open AccessA retrospective study of the safety and efficacy of rituximab in Iranian patients with myasthenia gravis: A single-center experience
Author(s) -
Bentolhoda Ziaadini,
Narges Karimi,
Akram Panahi,
Ali Asghar Okhovat,
Farzad Fatehi,
Shahriar Nafissi
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
current journal of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2717-011X
DOI - 10.18502/cjn.v21i2.10492
Subject(s) - myasthenia gravis , medicine , rituximab , retrospective cohort study , refractory (planetary science) , confidence interval , single center , gastroenterology , physics , lymphoma , astrobiology
Background: This retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of rituximab (RTX) for the management of myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 61 patients with refractory and non-refractory MG who received RTX. The Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) profile was used to assess MG symptoms and their effects on daily activities at the start of RTX and in the last follow-up. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America Post-Intervention Status (MGFA-PIS) scale has been used as an outcome measure after treatment with RTX in the 12 th month and the last follow-up. Results: The mean age of the patients was 40.31 ± 13.53 years (range: 15-78 years). Of 61 patients, eight (13.1%) were double seronegative, 29 (47.5%) had anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR+) antibody, and 24 (39.3%) had anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase antibody (MuSK+). According to the mean rank table, the results of this study showed that the drug was more effective in improving the symptoms of MuSK+ patients compared to the other two groups (P = 0.006). The mean MG-ADL was 4.86 ± 1.83 before treatment and 1.51 ± 2.02 in the last follow-up visit. Paired t-test showed a significant association between MG-ADL before and after treatment in the last visit [t(55): 11.30, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.79-3.99, P = 0.001)]. Conclusion: This retrospective study showed a considerable effect of RTX as induction therapy in patients with MG, especially those with MuSk+ MG.