Systematic Review with Meta-analysis of ''Role of Rituximab in Treatment of Bullous Auto-immune Diseases''

Background: Autoimmune bullous disorders (AIBDs) are a diverse collection of uncommon illnesses, clinically defined by the presence of erosions and/or blisters. Bullous skin illnesses are classified into two types depending on whether the skin is afflicted inside the epidermis or at the epidermal-dermal junction. Rituximab (RTX) is a chimeric, humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody thought to achieve its therapeutic effects in AIBD by depleting Dsg-specific IgG-positive B cells. RTX with short-term corticosteroids are safe and much more efficacious than corticosteroids alone Objective: To assess the safety and effectiveness of RTX in the treatment of AIBDs in comparison to placebo, conventional therapies, or other biologics. Methods: The PRISMA checklist directed the data reporting. We conducted a search in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Results: The literature review found 2310 publications. Following the evaluation of titles and abstracts according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the assessment of full texts, 12 publications were ultimately included into the meta-analysis. Conclusions: RTX is both safe and efficacious for the managing AIBDs.