Abstract
Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare form of chronic large vessel vasculitis of unknown origin involving the aorta and its major branches. Recently, the involvement of B lymphocytes in TA has been suggested, and active refractory TA patients were successfully treated with B cell depletion therapy (BCDT). We report two cases of patients with TA successfully treated with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (rituximab). The favorable outcome of rituximab treatment in our patients also support the view that BCDT can be a useful option for refractory TA, and its potential should be evaluated in controlled trials.
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Caltran, E., Di Colo, G., Ghigliotti, G. et al. Two Takayasu arteritis patients successfully treated with rituximab. Clin Rheumatol 33, 1183–1184 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-014-2506-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-014-2506-5