RESEARCH ARTICLE


Sustained Remission After Combination Therapy with Rituximab and Etanercept in Two Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis After TNF Failure: Case Report



Martin Feuchtenberger*, Christian Kneitz, Petra Roll, Stefan Kleinert, Hans-Peter Tony
University of Würzburg, Dept. of Medicine II, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Germany; Department of Medicine II, Klinikum Südstadt Rostock, Germany


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Creative Commons License
© Feuchtenberger et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the University of Würzburg, Dept. of Medicine II, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Klinikstraße 6, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany; Tel: 49-(0)931/201-0; Fax: +49-(0)931/201-70421; E-mail: Feuchtenbe_M@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de


Abstract

Objectives:

Approximately up to 40% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fail to respond to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, lose response over time or are unable to tolerate treatment.

Materials and Methodology:

We report two female patients suffering from active, refractory rheumatoid arthritis despite TNF blocking agents who have been treated with rituximab added to ongoing therapy with etanercept.

Results:

Combination therapy was tolerated without any acute side effects. Both patients improved with a significant, long lasting reduction of disease activity (DAS28, CRP). Evaluation of the immunological parameters showed the expected B-cell depletion and a transient reduction of immunoglobulin-levels. One patient developed four serious infections requiring antibiotic treatment (1 pneumonia, 3 exacerbations of her pre-existing chronic bronchitis) within follow up of 45 months.

Conclusion:

Combination therapy of rituximab and etanercept lead to a significant improvement of clinical disease activity and inflammatory parameters in two RA patients refractory to anti-TNF treatment.

Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis, rituximab, etanercept, TNF failure..