Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Preliminary Study on Acupuncture Combined with Grain-sized Moxibustion for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis with Finger Joint Pain
Published on: May 16, 2025
Rituximab in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
Romina I Hassan1, Angelo L Gaffo2,3
1Division of Rheumatology, J. M. Ramos Mejia Hospital, 609 General Urquiza Street, Buenos Aires, 1221, Argentina. rominahassan@gmail.com.
Rituximab (RTX) effectively induces and maintains remission in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). This therapy is not inferior to cyclophosphamide (CYC) for induction and superior for maintenance compared to azathioprine (AZA).
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Immunology
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a group of systemic autoimmune diseases.
- Effective remission induction and maintenance therapies are crucial for AAV patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the efficacy and safety of rituximab (RTX) for remission induction and maintenance in AAV.
- To compare RTX with existing therapies like cyclophosphamide (CYC) and azathioprine (AZA).
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from February 2006 to February 2016.
- Inclusion of relevant abstracts from American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) conferences.
- Analysis of ten PubMed RCTs and twenty ACR/EULAR abstracts.
Main Results:
- Rituximab (RTX) demonstrated non-inferiority to cyclophosphamide (CYC) for remission induction in AAV.
- RTX showed superiority over CYC in patients experiencing relapsing disease.
- RTX proved superior to azathioprine (AZA) for maintaining remission.
Conclusions:
- Rituximab (RTX) is a viable therapeutic option for both inducing and maintaining remission in patients with AAV.
- The findings support RTX as an effective treatment strategy for AAV, particularly in relapsing cases.
More Related Videos
06:35An Immunohistopathologic Study to Profile the Folate Receptor Beta Macrophage and Vascular Immune Microenvironment in Giant Cell Arteritis
Published on: February 8, 2019
07:25In Vitro Methods for Comparing Target Binding and CDC Induction Between Therapeutic Antibodies: Applications in Biosimilarity Analysis
Published on: May 4, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Biologic Agents: Anti-TNF
Rheumatic Heart Disease III: Medical Management
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents
Myasthenia Gravis: Overview and Treatment
These antibodies interfere with the function of the nicotinic receptors in three ways: by binding to the receptor and disrupting acetylcholine binding; by causing cross-linking of receptors which...
Myocarditis III: Medical Management
Cardiomyopathy IV: Restrictive Cardiomyopathy