Rituximab induces phenotypical and functional changes of NK cells in a non-malignant experimental setting

Background Rituximab has broad and increasing application in rheumatic diseases. It is known from lymphoma studies that natural killer (NK) cells can lyse rituximab-coated transformed B cells. However, the role of NK cells in mediating rituximab-induced depletion of non-malignant B cells is unknown. The purpose of this study was to provide fundamental data on rituximab-mediated effects on NK cells in PBMCs without tumor cells, in order to simulate effects that could be relevant in patients with rheumatic disease. Methods Freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy... Mehr ...