Efficacy of B-Cell–Targeted Therapy with Rituximab in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody that selectively depletes CD20+ B cells. In this randomized trial involving patients with poorly controlled rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate treatment, rituximab was found to be an intriguing new therapy for alleviating symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis. However, use of rituximab led to serious infections in some cases. Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody that selectively depletes CD20+ B cells. It is a promising new therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects approximately 1 percent of the adult population. 1 It is characterized by chronic inflammation in the synovial membrane of affected joints that ultimately leads to loss of daily function due to chronic pain and fatigue. The majority of patients also have deterioration of cartilage and bone in the affected joints, which may eventually lead to permanent disability. Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. 2 Although the precise pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis remains unclear, it has been postulated that multiple exogenous or endogenous antigenic triggers, or both, act in the presence . . .