Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0085593 (chills)
 4,268 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Rituximab (Rituxan; IDEC Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, CA) is the first monoclonal antibody approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of cancer. It is a genetically engineered chimeric (murine-human) monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against the CD20 antigen found on the surface of normal and malignant B cells. Multicenter studies have demonstrated its efficacy against relapsed low-grade and follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The mAb demonstrated tolerable side effects, primarily limited to fevers and chills associated with the first infusion. The currently recommended dosage is 375 mg/m2/infusion, given weekly for 4 weeks. Because of its human component, rituximab has low immunogenicity and should not significantly hinder future retreatment. Future studies will evaluate the antitumor activity of rituximab combined with various other chemotherapeutic or biologic agents in the treatment of B-cell lymphoma and other CD20-positive lymphoid neoplasms.
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PMID:Use of rituximab, the new FDA-approved antibody. 981 34

This phase 2 trial was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the chimeric monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody rituximab in patients with relapsed lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma or other CD20(+) subtypes of Hodgkin disease (HD). Eligibility criteria required expression of the CD20 antigen on more than 30% of malignant cells. Fourteen patients were treated with 4 weekly intravenous infusions of rituximab (375 mg/m(2)). All patients had at least one prior chemotherapy (median, 2). The median time from first diagnosis was 9 years. Adverse events, such as rhinitis, fever, chills, and nausea, were usually transient and of mild to moderate grade, allowing outpatient treatment in most cases. All patients completed treatment and were eligible for a response. The overall response in 14 assessable patients was 86%, with 8 complete remissions and 4 partial remissions, and 2 patients with progressive disease. At a median follow-up of 12 months, 9 of 12 responders were in remission. The median duration of response has not been reached yet (20+ months). We conclude that rituximab is both safe and effective in a subgroup of CD20(+) patients with HD.
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PMID:Treatment of relapsed CD20+ Hodgkin lymphoma with the monoclonal antibody rituximab is effective and well tolerated: results of a phase 2 trial of the German Hodgkin Lymphoma Study Group. 1250 81

Rituximab is a murine/human chimeric monoclonal antibody directed against the CD20 antigen. It is widely used in combination with polychemotherapy regimens for the treatment of hematological disorders. There is no evidence of direct cardiotoxicity of the drug but a few cases of cardiovascular adverse events have been reported in the literature. We report on two patients affected by stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma with bone marrow infiltration and peripheral blood involvement who experienced cardiovascular accidents temporally related to rituximab infusion. In both cases the monoclonal antibody was administered in association with a polychemotherapy regimen but administration was postponed several days later in order to avoid severe cytokine release syndrome because of the high tumor burden. The first case concerns an episode of atrial fibrillation in a patient with a diagnosis of small B-cell lymphoma. The episode happened immediately after rituximab infusion. In the second case there was an episode of chest pain associated with fever and chills during rituximab infusion in a patient with a diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma. In both cases we noticed an unusual correlation between symptom recurrence and the speed of rituximab infusion. Both patients presented several cardiovascular risk factors but preliminary cardiac function assessment excluded signs of heart dysfunction. The pathogenesis of cardiovascular events during rituximab infusion remains unclear. A key role might be played by cytokine release from B cells as a consequence of rituximab activity. Moreover, pre-existing silent cardiac damage could be co-responsible for the clinical manifestations we reported. We consider our clinical experience relevant because it raises an issue of good clinical practice: despite rituximab's good tolerability profile, patients with cardiovascular risk factors should undergo accurate cardiac assessment so that silent heart disease can be detected. If the suspicion of cardiac damage is high, more extensive cardiac assessment is recommended.
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PMID:Cardiovascular adverse events complicating the administration of rituximab: report of two cases. 2450 6

BACKGROUND Rituximab is a genetically engineered chimeric (murine-human) monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against CD20 antigen on the surface of B cells. Commonly reported adverse effects are chills and fevers, which are usually associated with the first infusion. Recent studies have shown an association between rituximab use and low immunoglobulin (Ig) level due to a reduction in plasma cell precursors, which leads to an increased risk of infections with the use of rituximab. CASE REPORT We present a case of hypogammaglobulinemia associated with rituximab use in a patient with Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA). A 59-year-old woman presented with shortness of breath. After an extensive workup, she was diagnosed with GPA. She received rituximab for the induction of remission. Laboratory workup, which was done five days after she received the second rituximab dose, showed IgG and IgM levels below the level of normal. One month after her second dose of rituximab, she presented to the Medical Intensive Care Unit as a transfer from an outside facility intubated and sedated due to acute respiratory failure secondary to septic shock with E. coli bacteremia. The patient died on admission despite aggressive management, including the ACLS protocol. CONCLUSIONS Rituximab is an effective medication in the management of ANCA-associated vasculitis. Obtaining an immunoglobulin level at baseline and before each rituximab cycle is of great clinical importance and helps guide physicians in prescribing B cell-targeted therapy.
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PMID:Rituximab Use and Hypogammaglobulinemia. 3226 10