[Rituximab as treatment for refractory pemphigus in Mexican patients].

Abstract

Background: Pemphigus (Pm) is a chronic and recalcitrant autoimmune disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes. The first line of treatment are systemic corticosteroids; however, there are patients who are refractory to them, as well as to other immunosuppressants. Rituximab has been used as a successful alternative since 2000 with good results but without information on its behavior in the Mexican population.

Objective: To assess the clinical response to treatment with rituximab in Mexican patients with pemphigus.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, retrospective study in a tertiary hospital, which included patients with moderate-severe pemphigus who had been treated with rituximab from 2007 to 2020.

Results: Six medical records of patients diagnosed with pemphigus were obtained; four of them with Pm vulgaris, and two of them with pemphigus foliaceus; all patients had received systemic immunosuppressive therapy prior to rituximab. All six patients went into remission of the disease in an average of 12.5 weeks.

Conclusion: The use of rituximab for the treatment of patients with moderate-severe Pm who were refractory to immunosuppressive therapy proved to be very useful, and control of the disease was achieved in the medium term, without severe or idiosyncratic adverse effects in the analyzed Mexican population.