Efficacy and influencing factors of rituximab in idiopathic membranous nephropathy : A real-world retrospective study
- 1Department of Nephrology, The First People’s Hospital of Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- 2Medical Device Inspection Section, Zhejiang Center for Drug Inspection, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the efficacy and influencing factors of rituximab (RTX) in the treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). A total of 46 patients with IMN visited and followed up regularly in our hospital were included in this study. The patients were divided into 2 groups, with 23 patients receiving RTX treatment (RTX group) and 23 patients receiving treatment with cyclophosphamide (CTX group). The clinical data of the patients, including urine examination, blood test, efficacy evaluation results, and adverse events (AEs) were analyzed retrospectively. The changes in clinical and biochemical indicators were compared in RTX groups before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy and influencing factors of RTX treatment for IMN were evaluated. After 6 months of treatment, in the RTX group, compared to baseline, there was a significant decrease in 24-hour urine protein, total cholesterol, and B lymphocyte count (P < .001, P = .010, P < .001), while albumin (ALB), globulin, and natural killer cells showed a significant increase compared to baseline (P < .001, P < .001, P < .001). After 6 months of treatment, the RTX group showed significantly higher glomerular filtration rate, higher levels of ALB, and higher levels of globulin compared to the CTX group, with statistical significance (P = .042, P = .003, P < .001). Among patients with positive anti-PLA2R antibodies at baseline, the antibody clearance rate at 6 months was significantly higher in the RTX group than in the CTX group (P = .035). By the end of follow-up, the overall remission rates were 91.3% for the RTX group and 87.0% for the CTX group, with no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P > .99). A univariate analysis of the correlation between clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, and the efficacy of RTX treatment found that lower baseline 24-hour urine protein levels appeared to be associated with a higher likelihood of achieving remission (P = .035). AEs were observed in 17.4% of RTX-treated patients versus 52.2% of CTX-treated patients (P = .030). RTX appeared to be effective in patients with IMN and was associated with a more favorable safety profile compared with CTX.
Related
- Belimumab with rituximab for the treatment of primary membranous nephropathy
- Belimumab With Rituximab for the Treatment of Primary Membranous Nephropathy.
- Correlation of Glomerular MBL Deposition with the Clinicopathology and Prognosis of Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy: A PLA2R Subgroup Analysis.
- Efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy in low-risk and intermediate- risk idiopathic membranous nephropathy patients : a 2-year follow-up study
- A comparative analysis of semiannual versus annual rituximab maintenance in patients with refractory idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: a retrospective longitudinal real-world study.
BibTeX
@article{xu2026efficacy,
title = {{Efficacy and influencing factors of rituximab in idiopathic membranous nephropathy : A real-world retrospective study}},
author = {Xiaofei Xu and Qiwei Zhou and Subo Li and Xiaoru Zhang and Xiaoyun Zhang},
journal = {Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1097/md.0000000000051442},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727179},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Efficacy and influencing factors of rituximab in idiopathic membranous nephropathy : A real-world retrospective study
AU - Xiaofei Xu
AU - Qiwei Zhou
AU - Subo Li
AU - Xiaoru Zhang
AU - Xiaoyun Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Medicine
DO - 10.1097/md.0000000000051442
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727179
AB - This study aims to investigate the efficacy and influencing factors of rituximab (RTX) in the treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). A total of 46 patients with IMN visited and followed up regularly in our hospital were included in this study. The patients were divided into 2 groups, with 23 patients receiving RTX treatment (RTX group) and 23 patients receiving treatment with cyclophosphamide (CTX group). The clinical data of the patients, including urine examination, blood test, efficacy evaluation results, and adverse events (AEs) were analyzed retrospectively. The changes in clinical and biochemical indicators were compared in RTX groups before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy and influencing factors of RTX treatment for IMN were evaluated. After 6 months of treatment, in the RTX group, compared to baseline, there was a significant decrease in 24-hour urine protein, total cholesterol, and B lymphocyte count (P < .001, P = .010, P < .001), while albumin (ALB), globulin, and natural killer cells showed a significant increase compared to baseline (P < .001, P < .001, P < .001). After 6 months of treatment, the RTX group showed significantly higher glomerular filtration rate, higher levels of ALB, and higher levels of globulin compared to the CTX group, with statistical significance (P = .042, P = .003, P < .001). Among patients with positive anti-PLA2R antibodies at baseline, the antibody clearance rate at 6 months was significantly higher in the RTX group than in the CTX group (P = .035). By the end of follow-up, the overall remission rates were 91.3% for the RTX group and 87.0% for the CTX group, with no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P > .99). A univariate analysis of the correlation between clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, and the efficacy of RTX treatment found that lower baseline 24-hour urine protein levels appeared to be associated with a higher likelihood of achieving remission (P = .035). AEs were observed in 17.4% of RTX-treated patients versus 52.2% of CTX-treated patients (P = .030). RTX appeared to be effective in patients with IMN and was associated with a more favorable safety profile compared with CTX.
SN - 0304-5412
SN - 1536-5964
SN - 0025-7974
ER -