Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38570792›Full record

ArticleArthritis research & therapy2024

Effectiveness and safety of mycophenolate mofetil and rituximab combination therapy for immune idiopathic myopathies.

Corrado Campochiaro, Nicola Farina, Giacomo De Luca, Veronica Batani, Giorgia Trignani, Davide Vignale, Anna Palmisano, Marco Matucci-Cerinic, Lorenzo Dagna

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Arthritis research & therapy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
3.9field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Targeted Therapy for Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2025
    Review
  5. Targeting B Cells for the Treatment of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy.Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology · 2025
    Review
  6. Review
  7. 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 at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Corrado Campochiaro *Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy. campochiaro.corrado@hsr.it.
Nicola Farina *Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
Giacomo De LucaUnit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
Veronica BataniUnit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
Giorgia TrignaniVita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
Davide VignaleUnit of Radiology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
Anna PalmisanoUnit of Radiology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
Marco Matucci-CerinicUnit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
Lorenzo DagnaUnit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University · ITSan Raffaele University of Rome · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionIdiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) represent a rare and heterogenous group diseases, and their treatment is not fully defined yet. According to previous small case series, the combination of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and rituximab (RTX) may be effective in controlling difficult-to-treat patients. Our aim was to further explore the efficacy and safety of this combined approach in patients with IIM.

methodsPatients with IIM treated with the RTX/MMF combination in our Center were retrospectively identified. After the start of combination therapy, the efficacy was evaluated at 12 months (T12) according the 2016 ACR/EULAR response criteria for IIM. Cardiac imaging and pulmonary function tests were used to monitor disease activity in patients with myocarditis and interstitial lung disease, respectively. Adverse events were recorded over the follow-up period.

resultsAmong the 20 patients (median age 61 years; 70% female) included in the study, anti-synthetase syndrome was the most prevalent IIM subgroup (60%). At treatment start, muscle, heart, and lung were the most commonly actively affected organs. After 12 months, a moderate or major response was observed in all patients, and creatine kinase was significantly decreased (p-value = 0.012). Cardiac imaging and enzymes monitoring showed a reduction of heart inflammation, while pulmonary function tests improved in patients with lung involvement. No severe side effects were observed.

conclusionOur data show that combination of RTX and MMF is effective and safe in patients with severe and refractory IIM. Therefore, this combined treatment might represent a feasible approach for difficult-to-treat IIM cases.

Indexed as

Mycophenolic AcidMyositisFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRituximabTreatment OutcomeMycophenolic AcidRituximabCombinationMycophenolate mofetilMyositisRituximab

Identifiers

PMID38570792
PMCPMC10988925
OpenAlexW4393864350

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.