Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on May 7, 2008
Rheumatology 2008 47(7):1097-1099; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ken015a
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Use of rituximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: the Latin American context
1Sección Reumatología, Servicio de Clínica Médica, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires y Fundación Dr Pedro M. Catoggio para el Progreso de la Reumatología, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2Unidad de Enfermedades Reumáticas y Autoinmunes, UNERA, Hospital Monte Sinai, Cuenca, Ecuador, 3Unidad de Investigación Dr Mario Alvizouri Muñoz, Hospital General Dr Miguel Silva, Morelia, México, 4Servicio de Reumatología, Hospital Provincial de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina, 5Departamento de Inmunología Clínica y Reumatología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, 6Unidad de Reumatología, Hospital Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia, 7Complejo Hospitalario Metropolitano Dr Arnulfo Arias Madrid, Caja de Seguro Social de Panamá and Sociedad Panameña de Reumatología, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá, 8Departamento de Reumatología, Hospital de Especialidades Bernardo Sepúlveda, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS, México DF, México, 9Servicio de Reumatología, Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins, Red Asistencial Rebagliati (RAR), ESSALUD, Lima, Perú, 10Hospital México, Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social, San José, Costa Rica, 11Unidad de Reumatología, Hospital Central de San Cristóbal, Tachira, Venezuela, 12Servicio Nacional de Reumatología, Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico Diez de Octubre, Ciudad Habana, Cuba, 13Centro Médico Nacional 20 de Noviembre ISSSTE, México DF, México, 14Rheumatology Unit, São Lucas Hospital, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, 15Serviço de Reumatología, Hospital Heliópolis, São Paulo, 16Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil, 17Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, México DF, México and 18Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, NY, USA
Correspondence to: C. Galarza-Maldonado, Hospital Monte Sinai, Unidad de Enfermedades Reumáticas y Autoinmunes, Miguel Cordero 6111 y Solano, Cuenca, Ecuador. E-mail: claudiogalarza@hotmail.com
KEY WORDS: Rheumatoid arthritis, Treatment guidelines, Biologic therapy, Anti-CD20 antibody, Rituximab, Latin America
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| Executive summary |
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Scope and purpose of the guidelines
GLADAR (Grupo Latino Americano de Estudio de Artritis Reumatoide) is a large group of Latin American (LA) rheumatologists experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of RA. In 2006, PANLAR and GLADAR published the first LA position paper on the pharmacological treatment of RA [1]. Since then, new therapies have emerged to help achieve the ultimate goal to preserve the patient's ability to function independently with an optimal quality of life.
The current guidelines provide evidence-based advice on the use of rituximab for physicians and rheumatologists treating RA in LA. A recent consensus publication has emanated from a group of European
| Guidelines for the use of rituximab in RA in LA |
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Indications for rituximab
Who should administer rituximab?
How should patients be screened before initiating rituximab?
How patients should be treated?
How should patients be evaluated?
Contraindications
Switching anti-TNF or giving rituximab