Table 2.
Summary of Clinical Parameters Pre- and Post-rituximab Therapy
| Characteristic | Pre-rituximab therapy (Baseline) Mean ± SEM or Median (range) | Post-rituximab therapy (6 Months) Mean ± SEM or Median (range) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arterial blood gas analysis | |||
| PaO2 mmHg | 54.7±3.4 | 74.3±4.6 | 0.002 |
| A-a | 50.0±3.4 | 32.9±4.6 | 0.006 |
| Lung Function | |||
| FVC (L) | 2.7±0.4 | 3.0±0.4 | 0.16 |
| %FVC | 61.0±7.8 | 63.7±10.2 | 0.66 |
| TLC | 3.7±0.6 | 4.2±0.5 | 0.041 |
| %TLC (L) | 59.9±7.2 | 68.7±6.5 | 0.050 |
| DLCO | 10.3±1.6 | 12.5±2.5 | 0.16 |
| %DLCO | 39.6±5.3 | 56.4±9.7 | 0.13 |
| Functional Status | |||
| FI Gradea | 1.1±0.4 | 2.0±0.3 | 0.063 |
| ME gradea | 1.3±0.4 | 2.4±0.3 | 0.038 |
| MT gradea | 1.0±0.3 | 2.4±0.3 | 0.014 |
| 6 min walk test (meters) | 376±43 | 395±38 | 0.64 |
| B Cells | |||
| CD19 cells/μl | 378(108–1518) | 73(0–216) | 0.0078 |
| GM-CSF autoantibody Serum | |||
| Anti-GM-CSF μg/ml | 1227 ± 343 | 949 ± 294 | 0.098 |
| IC 50 (dilution 1:X) | 3546 ± 712 | 2976 ± 590 | 0.50 |
| BAL | |||
| Anti-GM-CSF μg/ml | 15 ± 5 | 7 ± 2 | 0.016 |
| IC 50 (dilution 1:X) | 55 ± 23 | 22 ± 2 | 0.058 |
a
FI: Functional Impairment, ME: Magnitude of Effort, MT: Magnitude of Task