TY - JOUR T1 - Efficacy and Safety of Rituximab Treatment in Patients with Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-associated Vasculitides: Results from a German Registry (GRAID) JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 2153 LP - 2156 DO - 10.3899/jrheum.120482 VL - 39 IS - 11 AU - PETRA ROLL AU - EVA OSTERMEIER AU - MARION HAUBITZ AU - SVJETLANA LOVRIC AU - LEONORE UNGER AU - JULIA HOLLE AU - INA KÖTTER AU - JÖRG C. HENES AU - RAOUL BERGNER AU - ANDREA RUBBERT-ROTH AU - CHRISTOF SPECKER AU - HENDRIK SCHULZE-KOOPS AU - ULF MÜLLER-LADNER AU - MARTIN FLECK AU - GERD-RÜDIGER BURMESTER AU - FALK HIEPE AU - STEFAN HEITMANN AU - MARTIN ARINGER AU - REBECCA FISCHER-BETZ AU - THOMAS DÖRNER AU - HANS-PETER TONY Y1 - 2012/11/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/39/11/2153.abstract N2 - Objective. Rituximab (RTX) therapy is a treatment option in patients with refractory antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). We investigated the tolerability and clinical efficacy of RTX in a cohort of patients with refractory AAV. Methods. Clinical and safety data of patients with AAV treated with RTX were retrospectively assessed from the data of a German national registry. Results. In total, 58 patients were included in this analysis (50/58 with granulomatosis with polyangiitis; 8/58 with microscopic polyangiitis who received at least 1 cycle, 17 patients who received 2 cycles, and 3 patients who received 3 cycles of RTX). Response was classified as complete and partial in 22 (40%) and in 29 cases (52.7%), respectively. Four patients (7.3%) were classified as nonresponders. Conclusion. RTX was well tolerated with good clinical efficacy in patients with refractory AAV. ER -