Introduction: Rituximab (Rtx), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, results in selective B-cell depletion and has emerged as an important therapeutic option in idiopathic membranous nephropathy (MN). We conducted a retrospective observational study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of Rtx in MN with respect to the B-cell count depletion.
Methods: Twenty patients with biopsy proven primary MN, both treatment naïve and treatment resistant, who received a fixed dose protocol of 500mg IV Rtx 1month apart were retrospectively observed with a minimum follow-up period of 12 months.