[Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, lifelong disease that causes severe joint deformity, reduces quality of life, and, if not treated appopriately, leads to disability and substantial premature mortality. Its treatment is a multistep procedure, where different grades of treatment options follow each other. Besides traditional, diseasemodifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biological therapies inhibiting TNF, a new therapautic option is the use of a chimeric antibody, rituximab, which inhibits B lymphocyte function. This drug is an effective and safe choice for those patients who have received various anti- TNF therapies or do not tolerate TNF inhibition.]

[The present review is compiled of two parts, the first part aims to summarize the induction immunosuppressive therapy, the second part delineates the outcome and complications of ANCA-associated vasculitis. ANCA-associated vasculitis is a systemic disease, accompanied with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and severe, often life-threatening extrarenal complications. By early diagnosis and immediate initiation of immunosuppressive therapy both patient and renal outcome have been substantially improved. The major aims of modern therapeutic protocols are, besides improving survival, to decrease immunosuppressive drug toxicity and avoid infections. Immunosuppression is based on the combination of large dose of corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide, which is advisable to supplement by plasma exchange. The B-cell depleting anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab, which has already been available in Hungary, has been proved to be similarly effective in newly diagnosed ANCA-vasculitis, and even more effective in a relapsing disease, compared to cyclophosphamide. Amongst rituximab’s further indications in this disease is the preservation of young women’s fertility, and it also has priority in some other special cases. Early diagnosis and prompt immunosuppressive treatment have resulted that ANCAvasculitis became a treatable disease with reasonably good clinical outcome, yet both the disease and the immunosuppressive medications frequently cause complications, which necessitate continuous alertness of the attending nephrologists.]

[INTRODUCTION - Here we describe the case of the first Hungarian rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient treated with RTX. CASE REPORT - This multiresistant patient had received numerous immunosuppressive drugs and all three anti-TNF agents had been tried. These biologicals had to be stopped due to inefficacy or side effects. RTX treatment resulted in some subjective clinical improvement, as well as a decrease in rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP production. Clinical activity assessed by DAS28 fell after 18 weeks. B cells disappeared from the circulation, however, the percentage of activated T cells increased. We observed initial B cell recovery after 18 weeks. CONCLUSION - Clinical studies suggest that RTX is more effective right after the failure of the first TNF inhibitor. Efficacy of RTX in this patient suggests that this drug may also be effective in a multiresistant patient, who had tried numerous TNF blockers.]

[Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most frequently used medicines. During the last ten years several original publications, reviews and meta-analyses were published on the cardiovascular safety of NSAIDs and the results underlined their potentially harmful cardiovascular side effects. It can also be emphasized that there are substantial differences between different compounds, and the CV risk does not depend on the ratio of COX-1/COX-2 selectivity. Cardiovascular risk can be increased by all NSAIDs and paracetamol with the possible exception of naproxen and probably aceclofenac.]

[INTRODUCTION - Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma frequently has bone involvement, but primary bone lymphoma is rare (around 4% of primary extranodal lymphomas). Long bones are most often affected, followed in frequency by the ribs, vertebrae, and pelvic bones. The main symptom is bone pain. CASE REPORT - The case of a young man is presented whose disease started with lumboischialgia. Since rheumatological treatment did not relieve the symptoms, MRI was performed, which showed a tumour with massive iliac bone destruction. Three months after the initial symptoms a surgical biopsy from the right ilium showed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Soon after acute renal insufficiency developed and the patient was put on haemodialysis. Based on the findings the disease was staged as Ann Arbor IV/B (bone and kidney), ECOG PS 3, International Prognostic Index 4. On the basis of the preliminary histological findings, reduced-dose CHOP chemotherapy was given, which resulted in a significant improvement of the renal function and haemodialysis could be abandoned. This was followed by 6 additional cycles of Rituximab-CHOP treatment and further 2 cycles of Rituximab-DHAP salvage chemotherapy with intrathecal prophylaxis, and, finally, since no response could be detected, R-IVAC treatment was given. After an initial response, the disease became progressive, and the patient died 9 months after the diagnosis was made from a disseminated chemoresistant disease. Autopsy confirmed extensive infiltration of the right iliac bone, kidneys, bone marrow, spleen, supraclavicular and abdominal lymph nodes, pancreas, scalp and brain. CONCLUSIONS - This case was chosen to be presented because of the unusual localisation of the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the initial diagnostic difficulty, and the very rapid progression despite the application of several aggressive chemotherapy schemes. A primary bone large B-cell lymphoma represents a diagnostic challenge with its rheumatological symptoms thus delaying diagnosis.]