Late-onset neutropenia in patients treated with rituximab for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Int J Hematol. 2006 Oct;84(3):242-7. doi: 10.1532/IJH97.05105.

Abstract

Late-onset grade 4 neutropenia occurred in 3 (5.6%) of 54 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients treated with rituximab between September 2001 and March 2004. Neutropenia appeared 5 to 25 weeks after administration of cytotoxic agents in combination with rituximab and recurred 4 and 17 weeks after the first onset in 2 patients. Five episodes occurred in a total of 332 cycles of rituximab therapy. Bone marrow findings at the time of late-onset neutropenia showed neutrophil maturation arrest with or without reversible myeloid dysplasia in 3 episodes and selective depletion of the myeloid series in 1 episode. Neither circulating immune complexes nor antineutrophil antibodies were detected during the 3 episodes that we evaluated. Bone marrow cells stained CD8- and CD57-. Late-onset neutropenia resolved 5 to 7 days after granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy was started. Further studies are needed to determine how rituximab functions and to identify appropriate countermeasures.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / administration & dosage
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / adverse effects*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / adverse effects
  • Bone Marrow / pathology
  • Female
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / administration & dosage*
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / complications
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / drug therapy*
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neutropenia / chemically induced*
  • Neutropenia / drug therapy*
  • Neutropenia / pathology
  • Neutrophils / pathology
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Rituximab
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor
  • Rituximab