Fervenza FC, et al. - Given the role of B-cell anomalies in the pathogenesis of membranous nephropathy, researchers investigated whether B-cell depletion with rituximab is noninferior to treatment with cyclosporine for inducing and maintaining a complete or partial remission of proteinuria in patients with this condition. They randomly assigned treatment with intravenous rituximab (two infusions, 1000 mg each, administered 14 days apart; repeated at 6 months in case of partial response) or oral cyclosporine (starting at a dose of 3.5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day for 12 months) to membranous nephropathy patients with proteinuria of at least 5 g per 24 hours, and a quantified creatinine clearance of at least 40 ml per minute per 1.73 m² of body-surface area and had been receiving angiotensin-system blockade for at least 3 months. Outcomes support the noninferiority of rituximab to cyclosporine in inducing complete or partial remission of proteinuria at 12 months, but with superiority in maintaining proteinuria remission up to 24 months.