Rituximab as successful adjunct treatment in a patient with disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial infection due to acquired anti-interferon-γ autoantibody.

ABSTRACT

An acquired immune deficiency due to interferon gamma (IFN-γ) autoantibodies was diagnosed in a 78-year-old Japanese man with treatment-refractory disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial infection. In addition to standard antimycobacterial therapy, he was successfully treated with rituximab to eliminate B cells and thereby the autoantibody. Subsequently, he obtained a sustained remission from infection.