Rituximab Directly Decreases T Cell Activation, Both In Vivo and In Vitro

Abstract 3935

Rituximab, a chimeric anti-C20 monoclonal antibody, has been extensively used over the last decade for the therapy of B cell malignancies. Recent clinical data suggest that rituximab may affect T cell function, increasing the risk of T cell dependent infections in heavily-treated patients. The current study was designed to investigate the effect of rituximab on T cell activation and assess T cell function following the addition of rituximab to purified T cells. The T cell activation profile, dependent on rituximab administration, was evaluated in vivo and in vitro. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) generated from B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients prior and immediately after the administration of 375 mg/m² rituximab, were examined for the expression of inflammatory cytokines. The in vitro studies were performed by using CD25 depleted PBMCs or B cell depleted T cells (CD3⁺CD25^-CD19^-). The obtained cells were stimulated with allogeneic dendritic cells (DCs), in the absence or presence or 2 mg/ml rituximab. T cell activation was evaluated using immunophenotypic markers, cytokine profile and T cell proliferation assay. Eight NHL patients participated in the study. The level of T cells expressing inflammatory cytokines was significantly decreased following the administration of a single dose of rituximab. T cells expressing IL-2 declined from a mean level of 26.5% to 11.5% and the level of IFN- γ decreased from 22% to 4.2%. Further administration of rituximab, up to 4 weekly doses, resulted in an additional decline in the amount of inflammatory cytokine producing T cells to a level of 1.4% for IL-2 and 3.5% for IFN-g. However, repeated evaluation, performed at 4 months after completing rituximab, showed restoration of the inflammatory population. In accord with this inhibitory effect, in vitro stimulation of T cells with allogeneic DCs, in the presence of rituximab, resulted in a significant decrease in activation markers (CD25, GITR and CTLA-4) (Table 1). These changes were accompanied by a marked reduction in inflammatory cytokine production and proliferative capacity. Of interest, these inhibitory effects were also obtained whilst using B cell depleted T cells (CD3+CD25-CD19-). In conclusion, rituximab administration results in a transient T cell inactivation, demonstrated through the reduction in inflammatory cytokine production and T cell proliferation capacity. This effect appears to be non-B cell dependent, being obtained in the absence of B cell in the culture, and may account for clinical observations in ameliorating T-cell dependent disorders, such as graft-versus-host disease.