[Successful treatment of pemphigus foliaceus with rituximab. Report of 3 cases]

Abstract

Treatment of autoimmune bullous diseases, especially of the pemphigus diseases, regularly requires the use of immunosuppressive drugs, often with insufficient clinical benefit but considerable side effects. A variety of autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, pemphigus vulgaris) have been successfully treated with rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody against CD20, leading to a transient depletion of B cells. We report on three patients with pemphigus foliaceus who responded to rituximab after failing multiple other immunosuppressive therapies. We also examine the controversial issue of continuation therapy with rituximab in detail.