Abstract
BACKGROUND: Rituximab (RTX) has become the first-line therapy for idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). The safety of low-dose and long-course RTX regimen in elderly patients with IMN remains unknown. METHODS: Sixty-nine IMN patients with anti-M-phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibodies-positive were recruited for this study. The patients were categorized into two groups based on their age. The different age groups were further divided into the recommended RTX group and the low-dose and long-course RTX group. Compare the outcomes and adverse events of patients between different groups after 9-month follow-up. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the complete remission rate and composite remission rate in patients with IMN in different age who received different RTX regimens. As expected, the risk of adverse events was higher in the recommended-dose RTX group compared with the low-dose and long-course RTX group in patients with IMN aged ≥60 years (66.7% vs. 19%, p = .006), and the main adverse event was infection (p = .019). Moreover, we found that different regimens were independent risk factor for infection in patients with IMN aged ≥60 years. Furtherly, ROC curve analysis suggest that in the first month after RTX used, compared with the percentage of CD19(+) B lymphocytes, the percentage of eosinophilic granulocytes was more sensitive in predicting the risk of infection in elderly IMN patients (AUC = 0.329 vs. AUC = 0.555). CONCLUSIONS: The low-dose and long-course RTX regimen should be recommended for elderly patients with IMN, and the percentage of eosinophilic granulocytes is a better risk predictor of infections after RTX used in elderly patients with IMN.