Combined Treatment with Antiviral Therapy and Rituximab in Patients with Mixed Cryoglobulinemia: Review of the Literature and Report of a Case Using Direct Antiviral Agents-Based Antihepatitis C Virus Therapy

Table 2

Combined treatment with antiviral therapy and rituximab in MC patients: review of the literature.

Author	Patients	Main indication	Regimen	Therapy; outcome; (CR/PR/NR)	AEs
Saadoun et al., 2008 [22]	16	Refractory MC	ST; (RTX 375 mg/sqm × 4; Peg IFNα2b^+ + RBV^++ after a month)	(10/6/1)	2°
Terrier et al., 2009 [23]	20	Severe MC	ST; (RTX 375 mg/sqm × 4 or 1 gr × 2; Peg IFNα2b^+ + RBV^++ after a month)	(16/3/1)	4°°
Dammacco et al., 2010 [24]	22	MC; (naïve patients)	CT; (RTX 375 mg/sqm × 4 weekly + two 5 monthly inf. + Peg IFNα2b^+ or α2a^+++ + RBV^++)	(12/5/5)	3°°°
Saadoun et al., 2010 [25]	38	MC; (unselected)	ST; (RTX 375 mg/sqm × 4 or 1 gr × 2; Peg IFNα2b^+ or α2a^+++ + RBV^++ after a month)	(28/9/1)	5^°°+
Ignatova et al., 2014 [26]	6	Severe MC	ST; (RTX n.d. dose; Peg IFNα + RBV^++ after a month)	(n.d./n.d./n.d.)	n.d.

MC: mixed cryoglobulinemia; ST: sequential treatment; CT: combined treatment; CR: complete response, PR: partial response, NR: no response; AEs: adverse events (requiring antiviral treatment interruption); n.d.: not determined.
⁺1.5 mcg/kg weekly; ⁺⁺weight-based; ⁺⁺⁺180 mcg weekly.
°One worsening of peripheral neuropathy case and 1 flare of psoriasis case.
°°Two hematologic toxicity cases; 1 flare of psoriasis case; 1 hepatocarcinoma case.
°°°One severe anemia case; 2 grade 4 neutropenia cases.
^°°+Two hematologic toxicity cases; 1 depression case; 1 flare of psoriasis cases; 1 neuropathy case.