Background: Fingolimod (FTY) induces sequestration of lymphocytes in secondary lymphoid organs and the average lymphocyte recovery following discontinuation takes 1-2 months. It has been hypothesized that the therapeutic effects of subsequent cell-depleting agents may be compromised if initiated before lymphocyte recovery has occurred.
Objective: To assess the risk of relapses following FTY discontinuation and the initiation of a B/T cell-depleting agent in relation to washout duration using data from the Italian MS Register.
Methods: The risk of relapses was assessed in relation to different washout durations (< 6, 6-11, 12-17 and > / = 18 weeks) in patients starting alemtuzumab, rituximab, ocrelizumab or cladribine following FTY discontinuation.
Results: We included 329 patients in the analysis (226F, 103 M; mean age 41 ± 10 years). During the cell-depleting treatment, the incidence rate ratio for a relapse was significantly greater in patients with a washout period of 12-17 and > / = 18 weeks compared to the reference period (< 6 weeks). The risk of a relapse was significantly influenced by the occurrence of relapses during FTY treatment and by washout length, with hazard ratios markedly increasing with the washout duration.
Conclusion: The risk of relapses increases with the washout duration when switching from FTY to lymphocyte-depleting agents.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00415-021-10708-1 | DOI Listing |
Infect Dis (Lond)
January 2025
Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Background: Although recommended isolation periods for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been shortened as the pandemic has subsided, prolonged Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) shedding remains common in immunocompromised patients. This study estimated the probability of viral clearance in these patients based on elapsed days and specific risk factors.
Methods: We prospectively enrolled immunocompromised patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis from January 2022 to May 2023 during the Omicron variant era.
BioDrugs
December 2024
Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
B-cell depleting therapy (BCDT) has revolutionised the treatment of B-cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases by targeting specific B-cell surface antigens, receptors, ligands, and signalling pathways. This narrative review explores the mechanisms, applications, and complications of BCDT, focusing on the therapeutic advancements since the introduction of rituximab in 1997. Various monoclonal antibodies and kinase inhibitors are examined for their roles in depleting B cells through antibody-dependent and independent mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlood Adv
December 2024
Charité, University Medical Center Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
Mult Scler Relat Disord
December 2024
Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; VA Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, USA.
Background: High-cost disease-modifying therapies (DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS) have created affordability challenges for people with MS (PwMS) and payers. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the US and uses a variety of approaches to manage utilization and cost of MS DMT. The objective of this paper is to compare national utilization trends in the VA to the US Medicare program, another large federal public healthcare program.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRheum Dis Clin North Am
February 2025
Department of Rheumatology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. Electronic address:
This article provides a comprehensive review of the impact of B-cell-directed therapy on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine immunity, focusing on its implications in autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD). Rituximab (RTX) is the primary B-cell-depleting drug that has been studied in AIIRD and is the focus of this review. We review the pivotal role of B cells in vaccine response and propose strategies to manage and predict vaccine responses in B-cell-depleted individuals.
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