Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35477910›Full record

Observational studyNeurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)2022

Efficacy and safety of rituximab in patients with multiple sclerosis: An observational study at a tertiary center in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Yassir M Almatrafi, Mohammed A Babakkor, Muhammed Irfan, Ebaa T Samkari, Waleed M Alzahrani, Doaa K Mohorjy, Sarmad Zahoor, Muhammad T Farooq, Hafiz M Sajid Jehangir

Open access · diamondAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Neurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 31% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Efficacy of rituximab in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: Insights from magnetic resonance imaging and disability assessments.Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Yassir M AlmatrafiFrom the Department of Neurology (Almatrafi, Babakkor, Irfan, Samkari, Alzahrani), from Research centre (Mohorjy), King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, from Punjab Institute of Cardiology (Zahoor), Lahore, Pakistan.
Mohammed A BabakkorFrom the Department of Neurology (Almatrafi, Babakkor, Irfan, Samkari, Alzahrani), from Research centre (Mohorjy), King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, from Punjab Institute of Cardiology (Zahoor), Lahore, Pakistan.
Muhammed IrfanFrom the Department of Neurology (Almatrafi, Babakkor, Irfan, Samkari, Alzahrani), from Research centre (Mohorjy), King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, from Punjab Institute of Cardiology (Zahoor), Lahore, Pakistan.
Ebaa T SamkariFrom the Department of Neurology (Almatrafi, Babakkor, Irfan, Samkari, Alzahrani), from Research centre (Mohorjy), King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, from Punjab Institute of Cardiology (Zahoor), Lahore, Pakistan.
Waleed M AlzahraniFrom the Department of Neurology (Almatrafi, Babakkor, Irfan, Samkari, Alzahrani), from Research centre (Mohorjy), King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, from Punjab Institute of Cardiology (Zahoor), Lahore, Pakistan.
Doaa K MohorjyFrom the Department of Neurology (Almatrafi, Babakkor, Irfan, Samkari, Alzahrani), from Research centre (Mohorjy), King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, from Punjab Institute of Cardiology (Zahoor), Lahore, Pakistan.
Sarmad ZahoorFrom the Department of Neurology (Almatrafi, Babakkor, Irfan, Samkari, Alzahrani), from Research centre (Mohorjy), King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, from Punjab Institute of Cardiology (Zahoor), Lahore, Pakistan.
Muhammad T FarooqFrom the Department of Neurology (Almatrafi, Babakkor, Irfan, Samkari, Alzahrani), from Research centre (Mohorjy), King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, from Punjab Institute of Cardiology (Zahoor), Lahore, Pakistan.
Hafiz M Sajid JehangirFrom the Department of Neurology (Almatrafi, Babakkor, Irfan, Samkari, Alzahrani), from Research centre (Mohorjy), King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, from Punjab Institute of Cardiology (Zahoor), Lahore, Pakistan.
Punjab Institute of Cardiology · PK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo assess the efficacy and safety of rituximab for multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment in terms of reduction in clinical relapses, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score and adverse events.

methodsThis is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at King Abdullah Medical City, from January 2017 to August 2021, involving patients with MS given rituximab, with 1-year follow-up. Clinical parameters were noted pre- and post-treatment to determine efficacy; adverse events were noted to analyze safety. A paired samples t-test was used to compare responses pre- and post-treatment. A

resultsAmong 31 patients, 6 (19.4%) had progressive MS, and 25 (80.6%) had relapsing-remitting MS (mean disease duration=8.12±5.65 years). The annual relapse rate reduced from 1.67±0.97 to 0.06±0.25 (

conclusionRituximab is an efficient drug in reducing the annual relapse rate and MRI activity of patients with MS, with few tolerable side effects not leading to drug discontinuation or any lethal outcome.

Indexed as

Immunologic FactorsMultiple SclerosisCross-Sectional StudiesHumansRecurrenceRetrospective StudiesRituximabSaudi ArabiaImmunologic FactorsRituximab

Identifiers

PMID35477910
PMCPMC9257910
OpenAlexW4225094370

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.