Low-dosage of rituximab in Chinese patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Rituximab has been effectively used for treating neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) for several years. However those regimens exert a heavy burden on Chinese patients. The aim of our study was to investigate an effectiveness, economic alternatives of RTX. The enrolled patients received different immunosuppressant drugs. Annual relapse rate (ARR), neurological disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale, EDSS), time to the next relapse were evaluated after treatments. Fourteen patients treated with RTX and 37 relapse events from 23 patients treated with traditional immunosuppressant drugs (ISDs) were analyzed in our study. Patients with NMOSD treated with RTX showed a reduction in ARR (2.0 ± 1.8 to 0.2 ± 0.3, p = 0.002) and improve disability (EDSS: 3.7 ± 2.1 to 2.3 ± 2.3, p < 0.001) at last follow-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that patients treated with RTX had a longer time to next relapse compared with those who were treated with traditional ISDs. Our regimens of RTX treatment were effective in NMOSD patients, and exerted a lower risk of adverse events might be lower than did the high-dose RTX regimens. Moreover, our regimen provides an economic and convenient alternative for NMOSD patients.