Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40372615›Full record

ArticleNeurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology2025

Low-dose rituximab for the treatment of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in children: a case series study.

Haiyan Wu, Fenfen Xu, Yuan Chen, Shanshan Ding, Wei Li, Qiuyue Li, Na Chen, Lin Tang

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Article in Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Haiyan WuDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250013, China.
Fenfen XuDepartment of Pediatrics, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250013, China.
Yuan ChenDepartment of Pediatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, China, 250021, Japan.
Shanshan DingDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250013, China.
Wei LiDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250013, China.
Qiuyue LiSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
Na ChenDepartment of Pediatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, China, 250021, Japan.
Lin TangDepartment of Pharmacy, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250021, China. lintang1989@126.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0110-3461

Funding

2021 Shandong Medical Association Clinical Research Fund-Qilu Special Project No. YXH2022ZX02049Shandong Provincial Drug Clinical Comprehensive Evaluation Project No. 2022YZ025the Bethune Medical Science Research Fund B19258the Shandong Medical and Health Science and Technology Project No. 202313041483
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeRituximab is a widely used second-line immune drug for the treatment of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in patients who fail to improve approximately 2 weeks after the initiation of first-line therapies (corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, plasma exchange). The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of low-dose rituximab in the treatment of autoimmune encephalitis in children.

methodsThis case series included 6 hospitalized children without tumors with anti-NMDAR encephalitis from January 2018 to December 2020. These children were treated with low-dose rituximab (100 mg, once weekly, according to peripheral blood CD19 + B-cell levels, 3-4 cycles, until CD19 + B cells in peripheral blood were cleared) approximately 2 weeks after the initiation of 2 or more first-line immunotherapies.

resultsAfter 3-4 cycles of low-dose rituximab (100 mg) treatment, the mRS score and CD19 + B-cell count decreased significantly, and the patients maintained stable neurological function (mRS ≤ 2). No adverse events resulting from infusion or other adverse reactions occurred in any patient.

conclusionIn children with autoimmune encephalitis without tumors for whom first-line immunotherapy is ineffective, low-dose rituximab effectively reduces peripheral blood CD19 + B-cell counts, improves the clinical symptoms of patients and reduces hospitalization expenses. RCTs with sufficient sample sizes are needed to firmly establish the value of low-dose rituximab therapy for treating anti-NMDAR encephalitis in children.

Indexed as

Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor EncephalitisImmunologic FactorsRituximabAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMaleTreatment OutcomeImmunologic FactorsRituximabAnti-NMDAR encephalitisCase seriesChildrenLow-doseRituximab

Identifiers

PMID40372615

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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.