{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,13]],"date-time":"2026-09-13T17:35:26Z","timestamp":1789320926406,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"The Journal of Rheumatology","issue":"2","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J Rheumatol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>This work aims to evaluate the long-term safety of rituximab (RTX) in primary Sj\u00f6gren syndrome (pSS) and to determine the safety and the efficacy of long-term treatment with B cell depleting therapy in pSS patients with active systemic disease.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A historical cohort study, enrolling 35 patients with pSS treated with RTX between 2008 and 2019 in a single rheumatologic unit, was performed. When patients experienced adverse events, the treatment was suspended and patients\u2019 data were recorded.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>The included patients were mainly female (91%), with a mean age of 54 years. During the time of observation, 13 patients (37.1%) suspended RTX treatment (10 cases per 100 patient-years, 95% CI 0.06\u20130.17). Baseline demographics, disease characteristics, European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Sj\u00f6gren\u2019s Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI) values, and treatment were comparable across RTX-suspended and nonsuspended groups. Patients exposed to RTX had been followed for 35.82 \u00b1 32.56 months, and the time of observation varied from 6 to 96 months. All the patients except one experienced a significant and persisting meaningful improvement of their ESSDAI (\u2265 3 points) during the long-term follow-up. For the duration of the follow-up, 13 (37%) patients discontinued RTX treatment. Four out of 13 (30.8%) discontinued the treatment after the first administration due to infusion-related reactions. During subsequent RTX courses, the main cause of withdrawal was hypogammaglobulinemia onset (7 patients). In 2 patients, hypogammaglobulinemia was associated with severe infections.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Long-term RTX administration was shown to be a safe, well tolerated, and effective treatment in patients with active systemic disease, significantly reducing ESSDAI and controlling disease activity.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3899\/jrheum.210441","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,15]],"date-time":"2021-10-15T14:44:48Z","timestamp":1634309088000},"page":"171-175","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Long-term Safety of Rituximab in Primary Sj\u00f6gren Syndrome: The Experience of a Single 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rituximab for rheumatoid arthritis is not rare and is related with good response: 13 years real-life experience","volume":"60","author":"Evangelatos","year":"2021","journal-title":"Rheumatology"},{"key":"2022062401251320000_49.2.171.16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"149","DOI":"10.1016\/j.semarthrit.2018.02.010","article-title":"Predictors of hypogammaglobulinemia during rituximab maintenance therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: a 12-year longitudinal multi-center study","volume":"48","author":"Boleto","year":"2018","journal-title":"Semin Arthritis Rheum"},{"key":"2022062401251320000_49.2.171.17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3899\/jrheum.150051"},{"key":"2022062401251320000_49.2.171.18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3899\/jrheum.090856"}],"container-title":["The Journal of 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