No abstract

IMPORTANCE Rituximab induces B-lymphocyte apoptosis by targeting CD20 antigen and has shown efficacy in antibody-mediated autoimmune disease. Rituximab is increasingly being acknowledged as an effective and safe treatment option for pemphigus.OBJECTIVE To assess the clinical response of patients with pemphigus to rituximab using a modified fixed-dose rheumatoid arthritis protocol (1 g intravenously on days 1 and 15, followed by 500 mg intravenously if clinically warranted at 6-month intervals or repeated full dosing). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSA retrospective cohort study was conducted using records from a tertiary referral center for autoimmune bullous disorders. Participants included 92 patients (pemphigus vulgaris, 84 [91%], and pemphigus foliaceus, 8 [9%]) who