Rituximab to treat active SLE in a hemodialysis patient

Dialysis treatment has been associated with remission of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Recently, an increased incidence of persistent of lupus activity both clinically and serolo­gically in chronic hemodialysis patients has been reported. Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody against CD20 located on mature and immature B cells, has been used in the treat­ment of non Hodgkins lymphoma and recently in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arth­ritis, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and lupus nephritis with some success.