Publications by authors named "Maria Chiara Sghirlanzoni"
IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is still an underestimated disorder which affects multiple organs, and its recognition as a distinct clinical disease has been only proved in the recent decades. The renal involvement has been documented in approximately 15% of patients with IgG4-RD, and the typical manifestation is a tubulo-interstitial nephritis. The main histological findings in IgG4-RD are typically a dense tissue infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells, storiform fibrosis, obliterative phlebitis, and frequently elevated IgG4 serum levels.
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- Rituximab, a B-cell depleting antibody, effectively reduced proteinuria and induced remission in patients with nephrotic syndrome secondary to idiopathic membranous nephropathy, even in those who did not respond to prior immunosuppressive treatments.
- A matched-cohort study evaluated the outcomes of 11 IMN patients given second-line rituximab therapy against 11 reference patients who received first-line treatment; results showed similar declines in proteinuria over 2 years.
- Both groups experienced normalization of hypoalbuminemia and hyperlipidemia, with limited infusion-related reactions, indicating that rituximab is a safe and effective option for previously treatment-resistant patients.
Background And Objectives: In idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN), CD(20) B-cell depletion by rituximab may induce nephrotic syndrome (NS) remission. Whether this is associated with kidney function restoration and regression of the glomerular pathology was evaluated.
Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Treatment-induced morphofunctional changes were evaluated in 7 IMN patients consenting to repeat functional and morphologic evaluations after stable disease remission achieved by four weekly rituximab (375 mg/m(2)) infusions.
Background And Objectives: Rituximab, given in four weekly doses, is a promising treatment for idiopathic membranous nephropathy and other immune-mediated diseases and lymphoproliferative disorders. This multidose regimen, however, may cause hypersensitivity reactions and is extremely expensive. This study was aimed at evaluating whether titrating rituximab to circulating CD20 B cells may improve safety and limit costs of treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cyclosporine (CsA) nephrotoxicity may prolong duration of anuria in renal transplant patients with delayed graft function (DGF). Thus, many Transplant Centers tend to delay CsA treatment in order to accelerate renal function recovery.
Methods: In this single-center, retrospective analysis we compared the outcomes of 40 renal transplant patients with DGF given a CsA-based (n = 17) regimen since the day of transplant or a CsA-sparing regimen (n = 23) based on early treatment with rabbit anti-human thymocyte globulin (RATG) and delayed CsA administration.