Use of rituximab for treatment of HIV-infected patients with hematological disorders

Rituximab (MabThera) is one of the most powerful drug with selective action on B-cells. The drug suppresses the polyclonal antibody response to own antigens in autoimmune diseases. For lymphatic tumors it selectively acts on tumors of B-cells. Rituximab is widely used in the treatment of patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura, Moshkovich thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn’s disease and other diseases. This review describes the clinical cases with the mentioned diseases. All of them are infected with HIV at different stages of the disease. The efficacy of the drug and moderate toxicity were illustrated. Indicators of  HIV infection (CD4 count and viral load) were independent of the drug. In general, rituximab demonstrated successful assessment in hematologic HIV-infected patients.

• A.V. Pivnik Medical Center «Genotehnology», Moscow, Russian Federation ; Медицинский центр «Генотехнология», Москва, Российская Федерация

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