A review of rituximab in cutaneous medicine.

Abstract

The rituximab antibody is a genetically engineered chimeric murine/human monoclonal antibody directed against the CD20 antigen found on the surface of normal and malignant B lymphocytes. Rituximab is indicated for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory, low-grade or follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Rituximab is also commonly used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, and immune or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Rituximab is an effective treatment for primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma and other cutaneous lymphomas. Rituximab is an effective treatment for mixed cryoglobulinemia. Rituximab is a promising treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, pemphigus, vasculitis, and a variety of hematologic diseases. Black-box warnings on rituximab include fatal infusion reactions, tumor lysis syndrome, and severe mucocutaneous reactions. A variety of cardiac, pulmonary, renal, and hematologic side effects can occur. It commonly causes mild cutaneous side effect and rarely has caused paraneoplastic pemphigus, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, lichenoid dermatitis, vesiculobullous dermatitis, and toxic epidermal necrolysis.

• Authors: Noah Scheinfeld
• Journal: Dermatology online journal (Dermatol Online J) Vol. 12 Issue 1 Pg. 3 (Jan 27 2006) ISSN: 1087-2108 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 16638371 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Immunologic Factors
• Rituximab

Topics

• Antibodies, Monoclonal (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
• Antineoplastic Agents (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Dermatology (methods)
• Humans
• Immunologic Factors (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Rituximab