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Rituximab Significantly Reduces Renal Injury in Membranous Nephropathy Washington, DC -- August 6, 2008 -- Rituximab significantly reduces the amount of kidney injury in patients with membranous nephropathy, according to a study appearing in the November 2008 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. The results suggest that this condition, previously destined to progress to kidney failure in 30% to 40% of cases, can actually be healed in some patients. Piero Ruggenenti, MD, Negri Bergamo Laboratories, Bergamo, Italy, and colleagues, treated 50 patients with membranous nephropathy with rituximab. Researchers found that 10 of the patients eventually achieved a complete remission of their disease, 7 of whom provided consent to participate in further evaluations, including additional kidney biopsies. In these patients, deposits of autoantibodies eventually disappeared or were almost entirely reabsorbed, and the damage originally noted in certain kidney structures significantly healed. "This represents the first demonstration that kidney injury in membranous nephropathy can regress after selective depletion of B cells. Thus, the present data provide a strong rationale for using rituximab to treat patients with membranous nephropathy," said Dr. Ruggenenti. "Whether this may apply to other [similar kidney conditions] and may translate into long-term protection from renal function loss and the potentially life-threatening complications … remains to be established," the authors wrote. SOURCE: American Society of Nephrology E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version