Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40355343›Full record

ArticleLupus science & medicine2025

Efficacy and safety of belimumab versus rituximab for refractory immune thrombocytopenia in patients with connective tissue disease.

Xiangning Yuan, Tong Li, Yudong Liu, Min Wang, Xiaoxia Zuo, Ying Jiang, Xuan Zhang

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Lupus science & medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 authors.

Xiangning YuanDepartment of Nephrology, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.ORCID 0000-0002-6472-3721
Tong LiDepartment of Rheumatology, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Yudong LiuThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0002-5153-3400
Min WangDepartment of Rheumatology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Xiaoxia ZuoDepartment of Rheumatology, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Ying Jiang *Department of Rheumatology, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China 405019@csu.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0001-6269-0172
Xuan Zhang *Department of Rheumatology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesImmune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a haematological manifestation secondary to connective tissue disease (CTD). Many patients with CTD-ITP are refractory to glucocorticoids (GCs) plus immunosuppressant agents (ISAs); rituximab (RTX) is the recommended second-line therapy. Belimumab (BLM) shows efficacy against CTD. We compared the efficacy and safety of RTX and BLM.

methodsData of patients with CTD-ITP refractory to GCs plus ISAs administered were collected. The data of 11 patients with refractory CTD-ITP who received BLM were compared with those of 15 patients treated with RTX.

resultsAt week 2, BLM resulted in a better overall response (OR) than RTX (72.7% vs 26.7%, p=0.045). The OR rate was 60.0% (9/15), 66.7% (10/15) and 73.3% (11/15) at week 4, 8 and 12, respectively, in the RTX group. It remained at 72.7% (8/11) during week 4-12 in the BLM group. Excluding the data of three deceased patients, the OR rate dropped at week 24 in both groups (RTX vs BLM, 61.5% (8/13) vs 70.0% (7/10), p=1.000). At week 24, four patients with OR in both groups successfully withdrew GCs to <15 mg prednisone (RTX vs BLM, 40% (4/10) vs 66.7% (4/6), p=0.608). The serum C3 level did not significantly change, whereas the serum immunoglobulin G level significantly decreased at week 4, 8 and 12 in both groups. There were three patients with serious adverse effects who died of severe pneumonia during weeks 12-24.

conclusionsBLM may be a safe and effective alternative to RTX for CTD-ITP refractory to GCs plus ISAs.

Indexed as

Antibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedConnective Tissue DiseasesImmunosuppressive AgentsPurpura, Thrombocytopenic, IdiopathicRituximabAdultAgedFemaleGlucocorticoidsHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedbelimumabGlucocorticoidsImmunosuppressive AgentsRituximabB-LymphocytesLupus Erythematosus, SystemicThrombocytopenia

Identifiers

PMID40355343
PMCPMC12182150

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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.