Table 3.

Rituximab combination therapy for the treatment of autoimmune complications in CLL

Number of patients and type of autoimmune disorder	Treatment protocol	Outcome	Reference
8 AIHA	Rituximab + cyclophosphamide + dexamethasone (RCD)	Resolution of AIHA in 8 patients (5 converted into DAT negative). Median duration of response 13 months	Gupta N. et al [53]
48 CLL: 26 AIHA, 9 ITP, 8 Evan’s syndrome, 5 PRCA	Rituximab + cyclophosphamide + dexamethasone (RCD)	ORR 89.5%, Median duration of response 24 months	Rossignol J. et al [58]
21 CLL: 18 AIHA, 1 ITP, 2 Evan’s syndrome	Rituximab + cyclophosphamide + dexamethasone (RCD)	Resolution of AIHA in all 20 patients (10 converted into DAT negative). Median duration of response 22 months	Kaufman M. et al [60]
20 progressive CLL with AIHA, PRCA and/or ITP (number of cases with each autoimmune disorder not specified)	Rituximab + cyclophosphamide+ vincristine + prednisone (R-CVP)	Response of autoimmune cytopenia: 14 CR, 5 PR. Response of CLL: 9 CR, 8 PR	Bowen DA. et al [61]

PRCA: pure red cell aplasia; AIHA: autoimmune hemolytic anemia ; ITP: immune thrombocytopenic purpura Immune thrombocytopenic purpura ; CLL: chronic lymphocytic leukaemia; CR: complete remission; PR: partial remission; DAT: direct antiglobulin test; ORR: overall response rate.