Therapeutic target of memory B cells depletion helps to tailor administration frequency of rituximab in myasthenia gravis.

Rituximab (RTX) has demonstrated efficacy in limiting relapses in myasthenia gravis (MG). We investigated the interest of CD27+ memory B cell monitoring in patients as a biological marker of clinical relapse. Twenty-four patients have been treated with RTX (375mg/m(2)/week-month as an induction treatment). Maintenance treatment consisted with either systematic treatment every 3months or only when CD27+ memory B cells were detectable. After the induction treatment, the mean infusions were 1.3/year compared with 4/year. We suggest that RTX administration frequency can be decreased safely by monitoring the re-emerging CD27+ memory B cells.