Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32989931›Full record

ArticleJournal of Korean medical science2020

Efficacy and Safety of Rituximab in Korean Patients with Refractory Inflammatory Myopathies.

Ga Young Ahn, Chang Hee Suh, Yong Gil Kim, Yong Beom Park, Seung Cheol Shim, Sang Heon Lee, Shin Seok Lee, Sang Cheol Bae, Dae Hyun Yoo

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of Korean medical science, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Targeting B Cells for the Treatment of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy.Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology · 2025
    Review
  3. Review
  4. [Long-term rituximab treatment of refractory idiopathic inflammatory myopathy: A report of 3 cases].Beijing da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Peking University. Health sciences · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ga Young AhnDepartment of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1261-5363
Chang Hee SuhDepartment of Rheumatology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6156-393X
Yong Gil KimDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8029-7355
Yong Beom ParkDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4695-8620
Seung Cheol ShimDivision of Rheumatology, Regional Rheumatoid & Degenerative Arthritis Center, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3199-359X
Sang Heon LeeDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7539-9330
Shin Seok LeeDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6810-7355
Sang Cheol BaeDepartment of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4658-1093
Dae Hyun YooDepartment of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Korea. dhyoo@hanyang.ac.kr.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0643-4008

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRituximab (RTX), a monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to CD20+ B cells, showed favorable outcomes in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) in small case series, but the evidence is still not enough. Our goal was to determine the efficacy and safety of RTX for Korean patients with refractory IIM.

methodsWe retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 16 patients with refractory IIM treated with RTX in seven tertiary rheumatology clinics in the Korea. The efficacy of RTX was evaluated with the improvement of serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level and physician's global assessment (PGA), and daily corticosteroid dose reduction. A > 25% decrease in CPK level, corticosteroid dose, or PGA was considered significant. A complete response (CR) was designated by meeting three efficacy criteria and a partial response (PR) by only two criteria.

resultsSixteen patients with IIM were evaluated (13 female; median age, 51.8 years). All patients had received at least one conventional immunosuppressive agent (median, 3.6 [2.0-5.0]) and concomitant corticosteroids. The median CPK level and median dose of prednisolone was 421.0 units/L and 20.0 mg/day respectively. Eleven patients were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin. Seven patients received 2,000 mg of RTX and the others received lower dose. Twenty-four weeks after RTX treatment, 11 patients achieved a > 25% reduction in corticosteroid dose and CPK levels, and nine showed improved PGA. The overall response rate was 68.8% (11 patients). At the end of follow-up (median 24 weeks), 12 (75.0%) patients responded overall: four (25.0%) and eight (50.0%) patients achieved CR and PR, respectively. Baseline muscle enzyme levels were higher in responders than non-responders, but disease duration, RTX dose, ESR and serum CRP were not significantly different between the two groups. The rate of adverse event was 25.4/1,000 person-years.

conclusionRTX could be an effective and relatively safe therapeutic option in patients with refractory IIM.

Indexed as

Adrenal Cortex HormonesAdultCreatine KinaseDrug Therapy, CombinationFemaleHumansImmunosuppressive AgentsMaleMiddle AgedMyositisRespiratory Tract InfectionsRetrospective StudiesRituximabSeverity of Illness IndexTreatment OutcomeAdrenal Cortex HormonesCreatine KinaseImmunosuppressive AgentsRituximabMyositisRituximabSafetyTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID32989931
PMCPMC7521958

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.