Efficacy and Safety of Rituximab in Patients With Refractory Primary Membranous Nephropathy

Primary membranous nephropathy (PMN), an autoimmune disease mostly associated with anti-phospholipase-A2-receptor (PLA2R) antibodies, is one of the most common causes of nephrotic syndrome in adults. In 30% to 40% of all cases, patients with PMN undergo spontaneous remission with conservative approaches. Corticosteroids, alkylating agents and calcineurin inhibitors are recommended treatment options in persistent disease activity despite supportive therapies. Nevertheless, patients with refractory disease constitute an important clinical aspect of PMN, and uncontrolled proteinuria may culminate in rapid progression to end-stage renal disease. In recent years, several studies demonstrated the efficacy of rituximab as a treatment option in patients with refractory PMN; however, data regarding daily clinical practice of this agent is still needed. Therefore, we conducted a study using our registry data to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rituximab in patients with refractory PMN.