Rituximab for Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura?

In the absence of randomized, controlled trials, clinicians should be very cautious about using rituximab for this or any other autoimmune condition.

Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody that targets B cells, is approved for use in lymphoma but increasingly is also being used to treat autoimmune diseases such as lupus and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Now, investigators have conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate rituximab’s effectiveness and safety in adults with ITP.

A comprehensive search yielded 31 studies (none controlled) that met inclusion criteria. Studies with fewer than five patients were included only for the toxicity data; ultimately, 19 studies (313 patients) were used for the efficacy analysis and 29 (306 patients) for the toxicity analysis.

Almost all patients had previously received corticosteroids, and half had undergone splenectom…

Reviewing Author

Deborah M. DeMarco, MD