Mignard C, Maho-Vaillant M, Golinski ML, et al. - In this post hoc analysis of a randomized clinical trial involving 47 patients (mean [SD] age, 54.3 [17.0] years; 17 [36%] male and 30 [64%] female), researchers sought to analyze factors associated with short-term relapse in patients with pemphigus treated with rituximab. Study participants were randomly assigned to the rituximab group in the RITUX 3 trial and the three additional individuals were treated with 1,000 mg of intravenous rituximab on days 0 and 14 and 500 mg at months 12 and 18 combined with a short-term prednisone regimen. The results indicate that initial Pemphigus Disease Area Index score and changes in anti-desmoglein antibody values after the initial rituximab cycle may help to distinguish a subgroup of patients with high risk of relapse who could benefit from rituximab infusion maintenance at month 6 from a subgroup of patients with low risk of relapse who do not need early maintenance therapy.