ArticleLupus science & medicine2016
Off-label use of rituximab for systemic lupus erythematosus in Europe.
Article in Lupus science & medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 66 citations in OpenAlex.
- Rituximab Therapy for Adult Refractory Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Neurological and/or Psychiatric Presentations: A PRISMACompliant Meta-Analysis.Current rheumatology reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Generating evidence to inform health technology assessment of treatments for SLE: a systematic review of decision-analytic model-based economic evaluations.Lupus science & medicine · 2020Pooled it
- Advances in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus: Biologicals, small-molecular agents, and cell-depleting therapies coming to the clinic.Journal of internal medicine · 2026Review
- Single-Cell Level Characterization of B Cell Depletion and Repopulation Following Rituximab in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Article
- Article
- Favorable outcomes for patients with refractory systemic lupus erythematosus treated with rituximab as evidenced with a follow-up of ≥ 10 years: a real-world evidence study.Rheumatology international · 2025Article
- Real-World Effectiveness of Intravenous Belimumab on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Saudi Arabia: The OBSErve Observational Study.Open access rheumatology : research and reviews · 2025Article
- The essential roles of memory B cells in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2024Review
- Real-life drug retention rate and safety of rituximab when treating rheumatic diseases: a single-centre Swiss retrospective cohort study.Arthritis research & therapy · 2023Article
- Treatment of lupus nephritis: consensus, evidence and perspectives.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2023Review
- Off-label use of rituximab in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with extrarenal disease activity: a retrospective study and literature review.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Article
- Belimumab for systemic lupus erythematosus - Focus on lupus nephritis.Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2022Review
- Treat-to-target in systemic lupus erythematosus: advancing towards its implementation.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2022Review
- B cells in systemic lupus erythematosus: Targets of new therapies and surveillance tools.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Review
- A glimpse into the future of systemic lupus erythematosus.Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease · 2022Review
- New developments in systemic lupus erythematosus.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2021Review
- Genetic in situ engineering of myeloid regulatory cells controls inflammation in autoimmunity.Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society · 2021Article
- Understanding Accelerated Atherosclerosis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Toward Better Treatment and Prevention.Inflammation · 2021Review
- Living with systemic lupus erythematosus in 2020: a European patient survey.Lupus science & medicine · 2021Article
- Current Status of the Evaluation and Management of Lupus Patients and Future Prospects.Frontiers in medicine · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
33 authors at 20 institutions in 12 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesRituximab (RTX) is a biological treatment used off-label in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This survey aimed to investigate the off-label use of RTX in Europe and compare the characteristics of patients receiving RTX with those receiving conventional therapy.
methodsData on patients with SLE receiving RTX were taken from the International Registry for Biologics in SLE retrospective registry and complemented with data on patients with SLE treated with conventional therapy. For nationwide estimates of RTX use in patients with SLE, investigators were asked to provide data through case report forms (CRFs). Countries for which no data were submitted through CRFs, published literature and/or personal communication were used, and for European countries where no data were available, estimates were made on the assumption of similarities with neighbouring countries.
resultsThe estimated off-label use of RTX in Europe was 0.5%-1.5% of all patients with SLE. In comparison with patients with SLE on conventional therapy, patients treated with RTX had longer disease duration, higher disease activity and were more often treated with immunosuppressives. The most frequent organ manifestations for which either RTX or conventional therapy was initiated were lupus nephritis followed by musculoskeletal and haematological. The reason for treatment was, besides disease control, corticosteroid-sparing for patients treated with conventional therapy.
conclusionsRTX use for SLE in Europe is restrictive and appears to be used as a last resort in patients for whom other reasonable options have been exhausted.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.