FREE NEJM E-TOC    HOME   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   CURRENT ISSUE   |   PAST ISSUES   |   COLLECTIONS   |   Search Term  Advanced Search

Sign in | Get NEJM's E-Mail Table of Contents — Free | Subscribe

Previous Volume 350:2546-2548 June 17, 2004 Number 25 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

	Full Text PDF PDA Full Text Purchase this article Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited E-mail When Letters Appear Related Article by Edwards, J. C.W. PubMed Citation

CD20 protein is expressed on the surface membrane of pre-B lymphocytes and mature B lymphocytes. The protein is located in the B-cell membrane, with 44 amino acids exposed in the extracellular space. Rituximab is a chimeric anti-CD20 antibody whose variable (antigen-binding) region was derived from a mouse antibody so that it has high affinity for CD20. The binding of rituximab to the CD20 antigen interferes with the activation and differentiation of B cells.¹

Hematopoietic stem cells, pro-B lymphocytes, and plasma cells do not express CD20. This distribution permits the specific elimination of B cells without preventing the regeneration of B . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Source Information

From the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Md.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Ruggenenti, P., Cravedi, P., Sghirlanzoni, M. C., Gagliardini, E., Conti, S., Gaspari, F., Marchetti, G., Abbate, M., Remuzzi, G. (2008). Effects of Rituximab on Morphofunctional Abnormalities of Membranous Glomerulopathy. CJASN 3: 1652-1659 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Driver, C B, Ishimori, M, Weisman, M H (2008). The B cell in systemic lupus erythaematosus: a rational target for more effective therapy. Ann Rheum Dis 67: 1374-1381 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Salvi, M., Vannucchi, G., Campi, I., Curro, N., Dazzi, D., Simonetta, S., Bonara, P., Rossi, S., Sina, C., Guastella, C., Ratiglia, R., Beck-Peccoz, P. (2007). Treatment of Graves' disease and associated ophthalmopathy with the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab: an open study. Eur J Endocrinol 156: 33-40 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kim, H. R., Kim, E. Y., Cerny, J., Moudgil, K. D. (2006). Antibody Responses to Mycobacterial and Self Heat Shock Protein 65 in Autoimmune Arthritis: Epitope Specificity and Implication in Pathogenesis. J. Immunol. 177: 6634-6641 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Salvi, M., Vannucchi, G., Campi, I., Rossi, S., Bonara, P., Sbrozzi, F., Guastella, C., Avignone, S., Pirola, G., Ratiglia, R., Beck-Peccoz, P. (2006). Efficacy of rituximab treatment for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy as a result of intraorbital B-cell depletion in one patient unresponsive to steroid immunosuppression.. Eur J Endocrinol 154: 511-517 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Clark, E A, Ledbetter, J A (2005). How does B cell depletion therapy work, and how can it be improved?. Ann Rheum Dis 64: iv77-iv80 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• O'Neill, S. K., Shlomchik, M. J., Glant, T. T., Cao, Y., Doodes, P. D., Finnegan, A. (2005). Antigen-Specific B Cells Are Required as APCs and Autoantibody-Producing Cells for Induction of Severe Autoimmune Arthritis. J. Immunol. 174: 3781-3788 [Abstract] [Full Text]