PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Océane Landon-Cardinal
AU  - Yves Allenbach
AU  - Antoine Soulages
AU  - Aude Rigolet
AU  - Baptiste Hervier
AU  - Nicolas Champtiaux
AU  - Quentin Monzani
AU  - Guilhem Solé
AU  - Olivier Benveniste
TI  - Rituximab in the Treatment of Refractory Anti-HMGCR Immune-mediated Necrotizing Myopathy
AID  - 10.3899/jrheum.171495
DP  - 2019 Jun 01
TA  - The Journal of Rheumatology
PG  - 623--627
VI  - 46
IP  - 6
4099  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/46/6/623.short
4100  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/46/6/623.full
SO  - J Rheumatol2019 Jun 01; 46
AB  - Objective. A pathogenic role of anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (anti-HMGCR) antibodies has been proposed. Our objective was to assess efficacy of rituximab (RTX) in anti-HMGCR immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy.Methods. All patients who had been treated with RTX were retrospectively reviewed to assess features and outcome.Results. Three of 9 patients demonstrated stable or improved muscle strength ± decline in creatine kinase levels, or T2/short-tau inversion recovery hypersignal decrease on magnetic resonance imaging following RTX treatment. RTX permitted intravenous immunoglobulin discontinuation and corticosteroid reduction to low dose in 2 patients.Conclusion. One-third of patients with refractory anti-HMGCR had improved strength or other evidence of improved disease activity following RTX treatment.