PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Ajay Tambralli AU - Timothy Beukelman AU - Randy Quentin Cron AU - Matthew Laurence Stoll TI - Safety and Efficacy of Rituximab in Childhood-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Other Rheumatic Diseases AID - 10.3899/jrheum.140863 DP - 2015 Mar 01 TA - The Journal of Rheumatology PG - 541--546 VI - 42 IP - 3 4099 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/42/3/541.short 4100 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/42/3/541.full SO - J Rheumatol2015 Mar 01; 42 AB - Objective. Rituximab (RTX) has been used to treat many pediatric autoimmune conditions. We investigated the safety and efficacy of RTX in a variety of pediatric autoimmune diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. Retrospective study of children treated with RTX. Effectiveness data was recorded for patients with at least 12 months of followup; safety data was recorded for all subjects. Results. The study included 104 children; 50 had SLE. Improvements in corticosteroid dosage, physician’s global assessment of disease activity, and SLE-associated markers of disease activity were seen. The incidence of hospitalized infections was similar to previous studies of patients with childhood-onset SLE. Conclusion. RTX can be safely administered to children and appears to contribute to decreased disease activity and steroid burden.