[P1-135] The efficacy and safety of rituximab in the treatment of children with myasthenia gravis
[Objective]: This study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effect and safety of rituximab（RTX）in the management of myasthenia gravis (MG) in children who had poor response to the traditional immunotherapy. [Methods]: Clinical data of 9 children with MG who were diagnosed from 2012 to 2015 were collected and reviewed. We followed up the patients and summarized their clinical manifestations and laboratory examinations. And the therapeutic effects as well as the side effect of RTX were explored. [Results]: Among the 9 patients, the onset age ranged from 1.2 years to 8.0 years. Totally, 8 patients were type Ⅰ MG while 1 patient were TypeⅡ MG．All the patients had no response or relapse after steroid therapy. Six patients had received immunosuppressive therapy. The follow-up time ranged from 0.58 years to 2.83 years. Two patient were lost during follow-up. Seven cases had good response to RTX and 5 cases acquired complete remission. After the first course of RTX therapy, all the patients had clinical improvement to various degrees within 2 months. After the fourth course of RTX therapy, 5 patients achieved complete remission. One patient stopped RTX therapy after the third course because of infection with pneumocystis carinii and she relapsed 11 months later; but she acquired remission after using RTX therapy again. [Conclusion]: As therapy for children with refractory MG, RTX is effective and safe. The course of therapy should be arranged according to the proportion of peripheral blood CD19+B lymphocyte.