The course of the main clinical manifestations in the studied patients after rituximab therapy
| Patient . | Clinical status . | Baseline . | +90 days . | +180 days . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purpura | +++ | + | +++ |
| Nephritis: creatinine-24 h proteinuria-urine sediment | 2.2 mg/dL–2.6 g-active | 2.2 mg/dL–3.6 g-active | 2.5 mg/dL–3.4 g-active | |
| VAS (0-10) for arthralgias | 9 | 2 | 9 | |
| Fever | > 38°C | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | Purpura | ++ | 0 | 0 |
| Vasculitic urticaria | + widespread | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Purpura | +++ | 0 | ++ |
| Skin ulcers (number) | 5 | 2 | 0 | |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 8/5 | 3/2 | 3/2* | |
| 4 | B-cell NHL, extranodal marginal zone | Stage IV | CR | relapse |
| Immune anemia | Hb 104 g/L | Hb 126 g/L | Hb 133 g/L | |
| Immune neutropenia | Neutrophils 0.2 × 109/L | Neutrophils 1.3 × 109/L | Neutrophils 1.4 × 109/L | |
| 5 | Purpura | + | 0 | 0 |
| B-cell NHL, immunocytoma | Stage IV | CR | CR | |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 6/6 | 6/6 | 2/0* | |
| 6 | Purpura | + | 0 | 0 |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 5/7 | 4/4 | 4/4* | |
| 7 | Purpura | +++ | 0 | 0 |
| Skin ulcers (number) | 6 | 3 | 0 | |
| 8 | B-cell NHL, immunocytoma | Stage IV | PR | PR |
| Serum hyperviscosity (normal values, 1.4-1.8) | 13.8 | ND | 3.8 | |
| 9 | Purpura | + | 0 | 0 |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 9/9 | 3/3 | 7/7 | |
| VAS (0-10) for arthralgias | 8 | 2 | 4 | |
| 10 | Purpura | ++ | 0 | 0 |
| Skin ulcers (number) | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| VAS (0-10) for leg pain (neuropathy + ulcers) | 6 | 3 | 0 | |
| 11 | VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 9/9 | 1/0 | 0/0 |
| Nephritis: creatinine-24 h proteinuria-urine sediment | 0.8 mg/dL–1.5 g-active | 0.9 mg/dL–0.18 g-inactive | 0.8 mg/dL–0.05 g-inactive | |
| 12 | Purpura | ++ | 0 | 0 |
| Skin ulcers (number) | 5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 13 | Purpura | ++ | 0 | +++ |
| Skin ulcers (number) | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 4/8 | 1/5 | 2/5 | |
| 14 | Purpura | + | 0 | 0 |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | ND/6 | ND/4 | ND/3* | |
| VAS (0-10) for arthralgias | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fever | > 38°C | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Purpura | + | 0 | 0 |
| VAS (0-10) for arthralgias | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Patient . | Clinical status . | Baseline . | +90 days . | +180 days . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purpura | +++ | + | +++ |
| Nephritis: creatinine-24 h proteinuria-urine sediment | 2.2 mg/dL–2.6 g-active | 2.2 mg/dL–3.6 g-active | 2.5 mg/dL–3.4 g-active | |
| VAS (0-10) for arthralgias | 9 | 2 | 9 | |
| Fever | > 38°C | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | Purpura | ++ | 0 | 0 |
| Vasculitic urticaria | + widespread | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Purpura | +++ | 0 | ++ |
| Skin ulcers (number) | 5 | 2 | 0 | |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 8/5 | 3/2 | 3/2* | |
| 4 | B-cell NHL, extranodal marginal zone | Stage IV | CR | relapse |
| Immune anemia | Hb 104 g/L | Hb 126 g/L | Hb 133 g/L | |
| Immune neutropenia | Neutrophils 0.2 × 109/L | Neutrophils 1.3 × 109/L | Neutrophils 1.4 × 109/L | |
| 5 | Purpura | + | 0 | 0 |
| B-cell NHL, immunocytoma | Stage IV | CR | CR | |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 6/6 | 6/6 | 2/0* | |
| 6 | Purpura | + | 0 | 0 |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 5/7 | 4/4 | 4/4* | |
| 7 | Purpura | +++ | 0 | 0 |
| Skin ulcers (number) | 6 | 3 | 0 | |
| 8 | B-cell NHL, immunocytoma | Stage IV | PR | PR |
| Serum hyperviscosity (normal values, 1.4-1.8) | 13.8 | ND | 3.8 | |
| 9 | Purpura | + | 0 | 0 |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 9/9 | 3/3 | 7/7 | |
| VAS (0-10) for arthralgias | 8 | 2 | 4 | |
| 10 | Purpura | ++ | 0 | 0 |
| Skin ulcers (number) | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| VAS (0-10) for leg pain (neuropathy + ulcers) | 6 | 3 | 0 | |
| 11 | VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 9/9 | 1/0 | 0/0 |
| Nephritis: creatinine-24 h proteinuria-urine sediment | 0.8 mg/dL–1.5 g-active | 0.9 mg/dL–0.18 g-inactive | 0.8 mg/dL–0.05 g-inactive | |
| 12 | Purpura | ++ | 0 | 0 |
| Skin ulcers (number) | 5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 13 | Purpura | ++ | 0 | +++ |
| Skin ulcers (number) | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | 4/8 | 1/5 | 2/5 | |
| 14 | Purpura | + | 0 | 0 |
| VAS (0-10) for neuropathic pain/paresthesias | ND/6 | ND/4 | ND/3* | |
| VAS (0-10) for arthralgias | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fever | > 38°C | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Purpura | + | 0 | 0 |
| VAS (0-10) for arthralgias | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Purpura was scored as +++, ++, + as reported in “Patients and methods.”
VAS indicates patient-scored (range, 0-10) visual analog scale; 0, absent; CR, complete response; PR, partial response; NHL, non-Hodgkin lymphoma; and ND, not determined.
Electromyography was repeated at month +6 in these patients (pattern unchanged with respect to baseline).