Treatment of autoimmune diseases

Abstract

The present invention concerns treatment of autoimmune diseases with antagonists which bind to B cell surface markers, such as CD19 or CD20.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating an autoimmune disease in a mammal comprising administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount of an antagonist which binds to a B cell surface marker. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the B cell surface marker is selected from the group consisting of CD10, CD19, CD20, CD21, CD22, CD23, CD24, CD37, CD53, CD72, CD73, CD74, CDw75, CDw76, CD77, CDw78, CD79a, CD79b, CD80, CD81, CD82, CD83, CDw84, CD85 and CD86. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the antagonist comprises an antibody. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the antibody binds CD20. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the antibody binds CD19. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the autoimmune disease is selected from the group consisting of psoriasis; dermatitis; systemic scleroderma and sclerosis; responses associated with inflammatory bowel disease; Crohn's disease; ulcerative colitis; respiratory distress syndrome; adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); dermatitis; meningitis; encephalitis; uveitis; colitis; glomerulonephritis; allergic conditions; eczema; asthma; conditions involving infiltration of T cells and chronic inflammatory responses; atherosclerosis; leukocyte adhesion deficiency; rheumatoid arthritis; systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); diabetes mellitus; multiple sclerosis; Reynaud's syndrome; autoimmune thyroiditis; allergic encephalomyelitis; Sjorgen's syndrome; juvenile onset diabetes; immune responses associated with acute and delayed hypersensitivity mediated by cytokines and T-lymphocytes; tuberculosis; sarcoidosis; polymyositis; granulomatosis; vasculitis; pernicious anemia (Addison's disease); diseases involving leukocyte diapedesis; central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory disorder; multiple organ injury syndrome; hemolytic anemia; myasthenia gravis; antigen-antibody complex mediated diseases; anti-glomerular basement membrane disease; antiphospholipid syndrome; allergic neuritis; Graves' disease; Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome; pemphigoid bullous; pemphigus; autoimmune polyendocrinopathies; Reiter's disease; stiff-man syndrome; Behcet disease; giant cell arteritis; immune complex nephritis; IgA nephropathy; IgM polyneuropathies; idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and autoimmune thrombocytopenia. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the mammal is human. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the antibody is not conjugated with a cytotoxic agent. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the antibody comprises rituximab (RITUXAN®). 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the antibody is conjugated with a cytotoxic agent. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the cytotoxic agent is a radioactive compound. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the antibody comprises Y2B8 or  131 I-B1 (BEXXAR™) 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  comprising administering the antagonist intravenously. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  comprising administering the antagonist subcutaneously. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 3  comprising administering a dose of substantially less than 375 mg/m 2  of the antibody to the mammal. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the dose is in the range from about 20 mg/m 2  to about 250 mg/m 2 . 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the dose is in the range from about 50 mg/m 2  to about 200 mg/m 2 . 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 3  comprising administering an initial dose of the antibody followed by a subsequent dose, wherein the mg/m 2  dose of the antibody in the subsequent dose exceeds the mg/m 2  dose of the antibody in the initial dose. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the autoimmune disease is immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the autoimmune disease is rheumatoid arthritis. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the autoimmune disease is hemolytic anemia. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the hemolytic anemia is cryoglobinemia or Coombs positive anemia. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the autoimmune disease is vasculitis. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1  which consists essentially of administering the antagonist to the mammal.