ArticleJournal of rheumatic diseases2025
Efficacy of early rituximab treatment in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in Journal of rheumatic diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Association of folylpolyglutamate synthase polymorphisms with methotrexate response and toxicity in rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis.The pharmacogenomics journal · 2026Pooled it
- [Current treatment, foreseeable newcomer and new treatment approaches for Sjögren's disease].Zeitschrift fur Rheumatologie · 2026Review
- Fatigue in primary and associated Sjögren's disease: similar burden, distinct determinants.Clinical rheumatology · 2026Article
- Sjogren's Syndrome Beyond Sicca - A Case Series of Four Cases with an Overview of Varied Neurological Manifestations.Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology · 2026Article
- Safety and effectiveness of rituximab therapy in Sjögren's disease: a PORTRESS - the Portuguese registry of Sjögren's disease-based study.Clinical rheumatology · 2026Observational
- Rituximab in Sjögren's disease: reconciling evidence from randomized and observational studies.Journal of rheumatic diseases · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess Rituximab (RTX)'s efficacy and safety in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), particularly how treatment timing influences outcomes. Methods: The study included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies evaluating RTX in pSS patients, focusing on disease activity (European League Against Rheumatism Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index [ESSDAI] score) and adverse events (AEs). Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, SCOPUS, and Cochrane Library databases up to July 2024. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 (RoB 2) and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklists. Meta-analysis was performed in Stata 17 with a random-effects model, reporting mean differences in ESSDAI and I² for heterogeneity. Results: From 555 articles, 15 studies were included (4 RCTs and 11 quasi-experimental studies). RCT meta-analysis showed a mean difference of 0.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.43, 0.61), indicating no significant RTX efficacy. In contrast, the pooled quasi-experimental analysis revealed a mean difference of -4.36 (95% CI -5.83, -2.89), suggesting a significant reduction in disease activity. Meta-regression indicated no significant correlation between RTX efficacy and mean disease duration. Subgroup analysis of disease duration (under vs. over 60 months) showed no significant difference. Safety assessment indicated no significant differences in AEs between RTX and placebo in RCTs. In quasi-experimental studies, infusion reactions and infections were the most common AEs, with serious infections being the most severe. Conclusion: RTX did not show significant improvement in RCTs. However, RTX significantly reduced pSS activity at week 24 or month 6 following treatment, based on quasi-experimental studies. We found no significant correlation between RTX efficacy and disease duration.
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