However, rituximab treatment (anti-CD20 Ab), which provides a more efficient and rapid B cell depletion, did not show any clinical benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus patients in 2 double-blind clinical trials.34 Therefore, it is likely that long-term BAFF neutralization in humans triggers additional effects (beyond B cell depletion and plasma auto-Ab reduction) that have important pathophysiological consequences. Here, TNFSF13B is linked to systemic lupus erythematosus.