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Late-onset neutropenia more common than expected in patients on rituximab
Key clinical point: The incidence of late-onset neutropenia proved higher than previously found in rituximab-treated patients with autoimmune diseases.
Major finding: At 1, 2, and 5 years of continuous B-cell depletion, the incidence of late-onset neutropenia was 6.6% (95% confidence interval, 5.0%-8.7%), 7.9% (95% CI, 6.1%-10.2%), and 13.5% (95% CI, 10.4%-17.4%), respectively.
Study details: A retrospective cohort study of 738 patients with various autoimmune diseases who were treated with rituximab.
Disclosures: Two authors’ work on the study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health. The authors disclosed no potential conflicts of interest.
Zonozi R et al. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020 Sep 6. doi: 10.1002/art.41501.