[Rituximab use in young adults diagnosed with XXXX unresponsive to conventional treatment: report of 6 cases].

@entity1 @entity627 @entity625 @entity4932 @entity792
UNASSIGNED: @entity4932 ( @entity4932 ) is the most common @entity627 in childhood. Without an effective therapy, @entity1 may progress quickly to functional disability. Recently, depletion of B cells emerged as a new approach for the treatment of @entity792 , including @entity4932 . We describe six cases of @entity4932 @entity1 followed at a referral center for Rheumatology and Pediatric Rheumatology, submitted to treatment with rituximab (RTX) after refractoriness to three anti-TNF agents. @entity1 received RTX cycles with two infusions every six months. Response to treatment was assessed by DAS28, HAQ/CHAQ, and an overall assessment by the doctor and the @entity1 . Of our six @entity1 , four were @entity1 (mean age at onset of disease: 6.1 years; mean disease evolution time: 15.1 years; mean age upon receiving RTX: 21.6 years). Four @entity1 belonged to polyarticular subtype (1 rheumatoid factor [RF]-negative, 3 FR-positive), a @entity1 with systemic @entity4932 subtype with a polyarticular course and @entity625 related to @entity4932 . Of our six @entity1 , five responded to treatment; and during the course of 12 months, the clinical response was maintained, although not sustained. However, discontinuation by infusion reactions caused the withdrawal of RTX in two @entity1 . The use of RTX in @entity4932 is restricted to cases refractory to other biological agents and, even considering that this study was held in a small number of advanced @entity1 , RTX proved to be an effective therapeutic option.
