B Cells

[jmq]

How important are the B-cells and the B-cell count in the Wegners GPA treatments?
My B cells are still zero after I got the last Rituximab infusion in April.
My local Dr says I should not get another infusions until my B cells start showing up. Otherwise, it's not good for my bone marrow? I think that's what he said.
Dr. Villa Forte at the Cleveland Clinic does not pay attention to B cell count. She believes in giving infusions every 6-9 mos no matter what the B cell count is. As a matter of fact, she goes mostly by the symptoms and not the blood work.
But symptoms can be tricky. It's hard to gauge sometimes what is a true symptom and what's not. I prefer looking at data/numbers but they can lag the symptoms.

Anyone care to comment what they have heard about B cell count.

Thanks!
Jeannette

[gunnyl]

From all of my conversations with Rheumatology, go by symptoms if you know the specific symptoms as they relate to your GPA. You know your body better than any doctor and if you’re like me if I know it’s GPA then I’ll be in the hospital by the time my labs catch up to the symptoms. I never recovered T-B cells before my last infusion either but got it on schedule. There are many different subsets of T-B Cells, the specific subset rheumatologist look for relate to cell memory. My rheumatologist team have me do infusions on schedule or based on me telling them I have symptoms. They only screen T-B cells once or twice a year for me.


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