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RMD Open 2019 28;5(1):e000850. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Objective: To define the characteristic findings on MRI of skeletal muscles in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) relative to those in patients with other idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) and to assess their diagnostic performance in DM.

Methods: Thirty-six patients with DM, 17 patients with amyopathic DM, 19 patients with polymyositis and 16 patients with non-IIM classified by the 2017 European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology criteria were included in this study. The following MRI findings (short-tau inversion recovery [STIR] and gadolinium-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted imaging [Gd-T1WI]) for proximal limb muscles were compared between the disease groups and between myositis-specific autoantibodies/myositis-associated autoantibodies (MSAs/MAAs)-positive and MSAs/MAAs-negative groups: structures with high signal intensity (HSI) (subcutaneous, fascia, muscle); distributions of HSI areas in muscle (diffuse, patchy, peripheral) and patterns of HSI in muscle (honeycomb, foggy, strong HSI). Read More

Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2019 Apr;51(2):374-377

Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) is a rare group of autoimmune diseases, characterized by chronic muscle weakness, muscle fatigue and infiltration of single nuclear cells in skeletal muscle. Its subtypes include dermatomyositis (DM), polymyositis (PM), inclusion body myositis (IBM) and immune-mediated necrotizing myositis (IMNM), and the most common subtypes are DM and PM. PM is an autoimmune disease mainly manifested by muscle damage. Read More

Ann Rheum Dis 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Internal Medicine 3, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.

J Autoimmun 2019 Apr 13. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK. Electronic address:

Objectives: To determine prevalence and co-existence of myositis specific autoantibodies (MSAs) and myositis associated autoantibodies (MAAs) and associated clinical characteristics in a large cohort of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients.

Methods: Adult patients with confirmed IIM recruited to the EuroMyositis registry (n = 1637) from four centres were investigated for the presence of MSAs/MAAs by radiolabelled-immunoprecipitation, with confirmation of anti-MDA5 and anti-NXP2 by ELISA. Clinical associations for each autoantibody were calculated for 1483 patients with a single or no known autoantibody by global linear regression modelling. Read More

Case Rep Rheumatol 2019 11;2019:4914631. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Department of Rheumatology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Polymyositis-dermatomyositis is extremely rare during pregnancy, and immunosuppressive therapy should be administered after carefully considering the effects on both the mother and fetus. Several reports have associated the disease activity with fetal prognosis, higher rates of eclampsia, preterm births, and fetal deaths. We report our experience with a patient who was diagnosed with polymyositis-dermatomyositis complicated by interstitial lung disease during pregnancy and was treated with a combination-immunosuppressant regimen. Read More

Int J Rheum Dis 2019 Apr 10. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

Servicio de Reumatología, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.

Background: Inflammatory idiopathic myositis (IIM) comprises a heterogeneous group of systemic muscular diseases that can occur together with other connective tissue diseases (CTD), named overlap myositis (OM). The question of whether OM is a distinct entity still remains controversial.

Aim: The present study was conducted to assess the clinical and prognostic differences between patients diagnosed with OM, primary polymyositis (PM) and primary dermatomyositis (DM). Read More

Semin Arthritis Rheum 2019 Mar 9. Epub 2019 Mar 9.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 28 Yongun-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, South Korea; Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address:

Objectives: HLA genes are a major genetic risk factor for myositis and myositis specific antibodies (MSAs), exhibiting unique HLA backgrounds for myositis in different ethnic groups. This is the first large scale Korean study to genotype the HLA-DRB1 and -DPB1 alleles and to examine their association with myositis and MSAs.

Methods: HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DPB1 alleles and MSAs were examined in 179 patients with dermatomyositis (DM, n = 129) or polymyositis (PM, n = 50) and healthy controls (n = 800 for HLA-DRB1, n = 548 for HLA-DPB1). Read More

Immunol Med 2018 Sep 17;41(3):103-112. Epub 2018 Nov 17.

a Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology , Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan.

To date, increasing numbers of myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) have been reported and their clinical significance has been elucidated. Anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (ARS) and anti-melanoma-differentiation associated gene 5 (MDA5) are strongly associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD); however, the clinical course of ILD is different depending on which autoantibody is present. Anti-ARS is associated with chronic and repetitive ILD and anti-MDA5 is associated with rapidly progressive ILD. Read More

Immunol Med 2018 Jun 11;41(2):46-54. Epub 2018 Sep 11.

b Division of rheumatology, Department of Medicine , Solna, Karolinska Institutet, and Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.

The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized, as common feature, by inflammation of skeletal muscle and muscle weakness. Traditionally, IIMs have been subclassified in into polymyositis, dermatomyositis and inclusion body myositis, but this subclassification has several limitations, because clinical features as well as treatment response vary within the three IIM subgroups. In the last years several novel autoantibodies in patients with IIMs have been identified. Read More

Eur Radiol 2019 Mar 27. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

Department of Pulmonology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.

Objectives: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common extra-muscular manifestation of anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) and the main cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with ASS. Data on prognostic factors in these patients are lacking.

Methods: A total of 69 patients with ILD and positivity for at least one of the following autoantibodies were included: anti-Jo-1, anti-PL7, anti-PL12, and anti-EJ. Read More

Ann Rheum Dis 2019 Mar 25. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

Instituto de Salud Musculoesquelética, Madrid, Spain.

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2019 Mar 25. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.

Objectives: DM and PM are characterized by myofibre damage with inflammatory cell infiltration due to the strong expressions of MHC class I HLA-A and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). Dysferlin (DYSF) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that anchors in the sarcolemma of myofibres. DYSF mutation is closely associated with inherited myopathies. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2019 Mar 22. Epub 2019 Mar 22.

Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, St John's Medical College, Sarjapur Road, Bengaluru, 560034, India.

Bohan and Peter is the oldest criteria for the classification of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). Recently, 2017 EULAR/ACR criteria were introduced which were validated against a control group. The objective of this study was to assess the performance of the 2017 EULAR/ACR criteria in retrospective cohort of adult and juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and compare with Bohan and Peter criteria. Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2019 Mar 21. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.

Objective: To evaluate the risk of incident coronary heart disease (CHD) among patients with DM and PM in a general population context.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database containing records covering the years from 2000 to 2010. DM and PM were confined for the purposes of this study to those aged ⩾18 years who were eligible for the Taiwan catastrophic illness certificate. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2019 Mar 19. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College &Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Beijing, 100730, China.

Objective: This cross-sectional study was designed to assess the clinical significance of the serum KL-6 in the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM).

Methods: We measured serum KL-6 levels in 184 patients with IIM using a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay and compared KL-6 levels between patients with and without ILD, according to other clinical features.

Results: IIM patients with ILD had significantly higher serum KL-6 levels than those without ILD (776. Read More

Jpn J Radiol 2019 Mar 14. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Department of Rheumatology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a rare disease in children and adolescents which overlaps features of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic sclerosis. We have provided an image-based approach for evaluation of MCTD in children and adolescents, outlying the most frequent imaging findings. This approach would aid imagers and clinicians to consider the diagnosis of this rare entity and be able to make an accurate list of differential diagnosis for complex rheumatologic diseases such as MCTD, thus facilitating the ultimate goal of early diagnosis and optimal management of affected children. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2019 Mar 12. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Department of Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 Yinghua East Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence of myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) and to elucidate their associations with clinical features in Chinese patients with polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM).

Methods: Twelve subsets of MSAs including anti-Mi-2, anti-TIF1-γ, anti-MDA5, anti-NXP2, anti-SAE1, anti-SRP, anti-Jo-1, anti-PL-7, anti-PL-12, anti-EJ, anti-OJ, and anti-HMGCR antibodies were tested. Four hundred and ninety-seven PM/DM patients were enrolled. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Mar;98(10):e14530

Department of Gynecologic Oncology, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University.

Rationale: Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis (DM) is an inflammatory disease of the connective tissue caused by immunologic events in the presence of malignant tumors, which are typically related to ovarian, pancreatic, stomach, and colon cancer. Traditional treatment of paraneoplastic DM includes combination therapy for the underlying malignancy with systemic steroids.

Patient Concerns: A 41-year-old woman presented with facial erythema and myalgia of the extremities. Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2019 Mar 8. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Department of Respiratory Medicine.

Objective: We aimed to clarify the clinical significance of serum levels of MMPs in interstitial lung disease (ILD) complicated with PM/DM (PM/DM-ILD).

Methods: We retrospectively analysed serum levels of seven subsets of MMPs in 52 PM/DM-ILD patients diagnosed at Kyoto University Hospital or Tenri Hospital from January 2005 to December 2014. The patients were sub-grouped based on the presence of anti-amimoacyl-tRNA synthetase antibody (anti-ARS antibody), anti-melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 antibody (anti-MDA5 antibody) or lack of the antibodies (ARS-ILD, MDA5-ILD and other-ILD groups, respectively) and independently analysed. Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2019 Mar 8. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Federation of Translational Medicine of Strasbourg, Strasbourg University, Strasbourg, France.

Objective: To devise a simple PET-CT score for measurement of muscle disease activity in patients with inflammatory myopathies (IMs) and to assess its validity.

Methods: A total of 44 PET-CT examinations in 34 IM patients (performed during cancer screening) and 20 PET-CT examinations in matched controls (investigated for pulmonary nodules with a conclusion of benignity) were analysed. Maximal standardized uptake values (SUVmax) were recorded bilaterally in eight proximal muscles. Read More

J Korean Med Sci 2019 Mar 8;34(8):e55. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Korea.

Background: This study aimed to estimate the incidence and prevalence of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) and associated comorbidities in Korea from 2006 to 2015.

Methods: IIM between 2004 to 2015 were identified using the Korean National Health Insurance Service medical claim database. The case definition required more than one visit based on diagnostic codes including juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), dermatomyositis (DM), or polymyositis (PM) and registration in the Individual Copayment Beneficiaries Program (ICBP) for rare and intractable diseases. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2019 May 25;236:70-81. Epub 2019 Feb 25.

Department of Neurology, Kuang Tien General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Nutrition, Huang-Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The issue of whether integrated treatment with conventional medicine (CM) and herbal medicine (HM) can reduce mortality in patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) had not been addressed.

Aim Of The Study: In this study, we investigated the effect of integrated therapy on mortality in a retrospective PM/DM cohort in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD).

Materials And Methods: Patients with PM/DM were retrospectively enrolled from the PM/DM Registry of Catastrophic Illnesses cohort in the Taiwan NHIRD between 1997 and 2011. Read More

BMJ Open 2019 Feb 25;9(2):e023848. Epub 2019 Feb 25.

Department of Mathematics, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Objectives: Autoimmune connective tissue diseases (ACTDs) commonly involve the shoulder joint; however, clinical epidemiological studies investigating their association with tendons are scant. Rotator cuff (RC) tears can cause shoulder disability, and surgical intervention is usually required. The study investigated RC repair surgery risk in ACTD patients. Read More

Rheumatol Int 2019 Feb 21. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.

The objective was to investigate the clinical and histological features of liver dysfunction in patients with polymyositis (PM) or dermatomyositis (DM).A total of 115 patients (38 with PM and 77 with DM), who were admitted to our hospital between 2001 and 2012, were retrospectively reviewed. Liver dysfunction was defined as an alanine transaminase (ALT) level ≥ 60 U/l and a disproportionate ALT elevation relative to the creatine kinase level. Read More

Clin Ter 2019 Jan-Feb;170(1):e55-e60

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy.

The chemokine monokine induced by interferon (IFN)-γ (MIG) is expressed in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies muscle. Abundant expression of MIG was observed on macrophages and T cells surrounding and invading non-necrotic muscle fibers in polymyositis and in inclusion-body myositis and in T cells in perimysial infiltrates of dermatomyositis. MIG is also localized to blood vessel endothelial cells in all inflammatory and normal muscle tissues and it exerts its biological effects mainly via binding to the chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor (CXCR)3. Read More

J Immunol Res 2019 14;2019:9141420. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

INSERM U976, Laboratory of Oncodermatology, Immunology, and Cutaneous Stem Cells, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.

Dermatomyositis pathophysiology is complex. In recent years, medical research has identified molecules associated with disease activity. Besides providing insights into the driving mechanisms of dermatomyositis, these findings could provide potential biomarkers. Read More

Eur J Med Res 2019 Feb 14;24(1):12. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Immunology, No. 983 of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Joint Support Force, No. 60 of Huangwei Street, Hebei District, Tianjin, 300142, China.

Objective: This study aims to detect serum levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MPC-1) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) patients complicated with interstitial lung disease (ILD), to reveal the significance of the changes in these levels in the pathogenesis of PM/DM complicated with ILD.

Methods: Serum MCP-1 and TGF-β1 levels in PM/DM patients complicated with ILD, patients with pulmonary infections and normal controls (n = 30, each) were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the correlation between PM/DM complicated with ILD and serum MCP-1 and TGF-β1 levels was analyzed.

Results: Serum MCP-1 and TGF-β1 levels were both higher in PM/DM patients complicated with ILD compared with patients with pulmonary infections and normal controls. Read More

Ann Rheum Dis 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

J Clin Rheumatol 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

From the Department of Clinical Immunology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.

Objectives: Idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM) commonly affects women in the childbearing age group. Both disease activity and immunosuppressants used may have adverse effects on fertility and outcomes of pregnancy. We explored these outcomes in a retrospective cohort of women with IIM. Read More

Joint Bone Spine 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Service de rhumatologie, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, 67098 Strasbourg, France; Centre de référence des maladies autoimmunes rares de l'Est et Sud Ouest, 33000 Bordeaux, France; Fédération de médecine translationnelle de Strasbourg, université de Strasbourg, 67081 Strasbourg, France.

Skeletal muscle inflammation is the feature shared by all forms of myositis. However, the muscle damage ranges in severity from asymptomatic to responsible for severe weakness. In addition, myositis usually occurs as a systemic disease that affects multiple organs. Read More

Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.

Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been a mainstay of treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PCa), but limited studies have been performed to investigate the association between ADT and autoimmune diseases.

Methods: We conducted a population-based nationwide cohort study of 17,168 patients newly diagnosed with PCa between 1996 and 2013 using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. Cox proportional hazards models with 1:1 propensity score-matched analysis were used to investigate the association between ADT use and the risk of autoimmune diseases. Read More

Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 2018 Dec;45(13):2196-2198

Dept. of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine.

We report a relatively rare case of cecal cancer with dermatomyositis. An 81-year-old man was diagnosed with dermatomyositis associated with the symptoms of eruption, limb muscle weakness, and difficulty swallowing. Colonoscopy revealed a type 2 tumor in the cecum. Read More

Cytokine 2019 Apr 23;116:13-20. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Institute of Rheumatology and Department of Rheumatology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. Electronic address:

Background: S100A11 (calgizzarin), a member of the S100 family, is associated with oncogenesis, inflammation and myocardial damage. Our aim was to analyse S100A11 in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) and its association with disease activity features and cancer development.

Methods: S100A11 in muscle was determined by immunohistochemistry in polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), myasthenia gravis (MG) and in subjects without autoimmune inflammatory disease (HC). Read More

Adv Rheumatol 2019 Jan 22;59(1). Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Disciplina de Reumatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455, 3° andar, sala 3150 - Cerqueira César, Sao Paulo, CEP: 01246-903, Brazil.

Background: Recommendations of the Myopathy Committee of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology for the management and therapy of systemic autoimmune myopathies (SAM).

Main Body: The review of the literature was done in the search for the Medline (PubMed), Embase and Cochrane databases including studies published until June 2018. The Prisma was used for the systematic review and the articles were evaluated according to the levels of Oxford evidence. Read More

Nucl Med Commun 2019 Apr;40(4):377-382

Nuclear Medicine Department, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital.

Background: To compare the performance of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) and conventional tests for cancer screening in autoimmune inflammatory myopathy (AIM) patients.

Patients And Methods: We carried out a retrospective cohort study of AIM patients from one academic center in Montreal, Canada, classified using myositis-specific antibodies, who underwent F-FDG PET/CT between April 2005 and February 2018 and were followed up on average 3.5±2. Read More

Adv Rheumatol 2018 Oct 22;58(1):34. Epub 2018 Oct 22.

Division of Rheumatology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455, 3 andar, sala 3150 - Cerqueira César, CEP 01246-903, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Background: Currently, there are only few studies (mostly case reports or case series) on mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in patients with systemic autoimmune myopathies (SAM). Therefore, the goal of the present study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MMF (monotherapy or coadjuvant drug) in a specific sample of patients with refractory SAM: dermatomyositis, polymyositis, anti-synthetase syndrome or clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis.

Methods: A case series including 20 consecutive adult patients with refractory SAM from 2010 to 2016 was conducted. Read More

Adv Rheumatol 2018 Sep 18;58(1):31. Epub 2018 Sep 18.

Division of Rheumatology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Background: Interpretation of rituximab efficacy for refractory idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) is hampered by the absence of a uniform definition of refractory myositis and clinical response. Therefore, rigorous criteria of refractoriness, together with a homogenous definition of clinical improvement, were used to evaluate rituximab one-year response.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study including 43 IIM (15 antisynthetase syndrome, 16 dermatomyositis, 12 polymyositis) was conducted. Read More

Adv Rheumatol 2018 May 24;58(1). Epub 2018 May 24.

Division of Rheumatology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455, 3° andar, sala 3150 - Cerqueira César, Sao Paulo, 01246-903, Brazil.

Systemic autoimmune myopathies (SAMs) are a heterogeneous group of rare systemic autoimmune diseases that primarily affect skeletal muscles. Patients with SAMs show progressive skeletal muscle weakness and consequent functional disabilities, low health quality, and sedentary lifestyles. In this context, exercise training emerges as a non-pharmacological therapy to improve muscle strength and function as well as the clinical aspects of these diseases. Read More

Curr Health Sci J 2018 Jul-Sep;44(3):316-321. Epub 2018 Jul 15.

Department of Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania.

Glucosteroids (GS) are widely used drugs for various inflammatory pathologies (Nephrotic syndrome, Proliferative glomerulonephritis, Extramembrane glomerulonephritis, Nephropathy of the Nodous Poliarterita (PAN), Nephropathy from purple Henoch-Schonlein, lupus nephropathy (LN), Acute adrenal insufficiency Waterhouse-Friederichsen, Chronic adrenal insufficiency Addison, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Polymyositis and dermatomyositis, Chronic granulomatosis, Crohn's disease, Hemorrhagic rectocolitis, Hemolytic anemias, Acute leukemias and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma). Although they are prescribed for their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties, they also have many side effects, hyperglycemia being one of the most common and representative, which is why these drugs need careful monitoring when administered over the long term. This paper presents the case of a 39 year old patient diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with class IV lupus nephropathy (LN) who developed numerous complications due to the pathogenic side effects: diabetes, amenorrhea, recurrent infections, and depression. Read More

J Rheumatol 2019 Jan 15. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

From the Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, and the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu; Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. H. Hozumi, Research Associate, MD, PhD, Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine; T. Fujisawa, Research Associate, MD, PhD, Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine; R. Nakashima, Research Associate, MD, PhD, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University; H. Yasui, Research Associate, MD, PhD, Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine; Y. Suzuki, Research Associate, MD, PhD, Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine; M. Kono, MD, PhD, Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine; M. Karayama, Lecturer, MD, PhD, Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine; K. Furuhashi, Research Associate, MD, PhD, Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine; N. Enomoto, Lecturer, MD, PhD, Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine; N. Inui, Assistant Professor, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine; Y. Nakamura, Lecturer, MD, PhD, Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine; T. Mimori, Professor, MD, PhD, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University; T. Suda, Professor, MD, PhD, Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine. Address correspondence to Dr. H. Hozumi, Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama Higashiku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan. E-mail: or Accepted for publication October 10, 2018.

Objective: The optimal treatment strategy for anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase antibody-positive polymyositis/dermatomyositis-associated interstitial lung disease (anti-ARS-PM/DM-ILD) is yet to be established. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of glucocorticoids and calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) in patients with ARS-PM/DM-ILD.

Methods: Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival rates were retrospectively evaluated in 32 consecutive patients with ARS-PM/DM-ILD. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2019 Jan 15. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Department of Rheumatology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yongan Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.

Objectives: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the TNF super-family, which is involved in the regulation of immune response and pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, including polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM). In this study, we examined the level and origin of serum-soluble TRAIL (sTRAIL) in patients with PM and DM and analyzed its association with disease activity and clinical features.

Method: 11 PM patients, 33 DM patients, and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Read More

Arch Pediatr 2019 Feb 10;26(2):120-125. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Service de médecine interne et immunologie clinique, hôpital La Pitié-Salpétrière, AP-HP, 75013 Paris, France.

A guideline group consisting of a pediatric rheumatologist, internists, rheumatologists, immunologists, a physiotherapist and a patient expert elaborated guidelines related to the management of juvenile dermatomyositis on behalf of the rare autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases network FAIR. A systematic search of the literature published between 2000 and 2015 and indexed in PubMed was undertaken. Here, we present the expert opinion for diagnosis and treatment in juvenile dermatomyositis. Read More

Arch Rheumatol 2018 Sep 15;33(3):376-380. Epub 2018 Jan 15.

Department of General Internal Medicine, Rakuwakai Otowa Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.

Interstitial lung disease in polymyositis and dermatomyositis is a serious complication, associated with poor prognosis. In this article, we describe two cases with histological findings of organizing pneumonia, based on transbronchial lung biopsy. One is a 66-year-old female patient with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody, and another is a 61-year-old female patient with polymyositis with anti-Jo-1 antibody. Read More

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2018 Dec 20. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

Division of Rheumatology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Objectives: To assess serum interleukin (IL)-17A levels in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) and correlate them with the demographic, clinical, laboratory and therapeutic data of these diseases.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, single-centre study that included defined DM and PM patients who were age-, gender- and ethnicity-matched to healthy individuals. Serum IL-17A analysis, as well as analysis for other cytokines (IL-6, TNFα and IFNγ), was performed by multiplex immunoassay. Read More

J Neurol Sci 2019 Feb 31;397:123-128. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, PR China. Electronic address:

Aim: The prevalence and diagnostic values of myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) and myositis-associated autoantibodies (MAAs) in dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM) were studied.

Method: A commercial immunoblot assay with 16 autoantigens was used to detect MSAs and MAAs in serum samples from 130 DM/PM patients, 100 disease controls, and 50 healthy subjects.

Results: The prevalence of anti-Jo-1, anti-MDA5, anti-TIF1γ, anti-Mi-2α, and anti-Mi-2β was significantly higher in DM/PM than in other connective-tissue diseases (CTDs). Read More

Curr Treatm Opt Rheumatol 2018 23;4(4):289-298. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

Department of NVS, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet and Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Solna and Function Area Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.

Purpose Of The Review: A growing body of evidence supports exercise as a very important part of the treatment for adult patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). This review mainly focuses on exercise studies published during the last 2 years in adult myositis.

Recent Findings: During the last couple of years, new publications present further evidence for intensive endurance exercise as an anti-inflammatory treatment inducing muscle growth and improving mitochondrial function compared a non-exercising control group. Read More

Pediatr Rheumatol Online J 2018 Dec 29;16(1):84. Epub 2018 Dec 29.

Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, St. Louis, MO, USA.

Background: Few risk factors have been identified for the development of calcinosis among patients with Juvenile Dermatomyositis, and currently no clinical phenotype has been associated with its development. We analyzed a large database of patients to further elucidate any relationships among patients with and without calcinosis.

Method: The CARRA legacy registry recruited pediatric rheumatology patients from 55 centers across North America from 2010 through 2014, including over 650 subjects with Juvenile Dermatomyositis. Read More

Cardiol Rev 2019 May/Jun;27(3):131-137

From the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, New York Medical College/Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are a group of autoimmune diseases that are characterized by muscle inflammation resulting in elevated muscle enzyme release and distinctive biopsy findings. This group of conditions includes polymyositis, dermatomyositis, inclusion body myositis, and necrotizing autoimmune myopathy. Although they have many similarities, the inflammatory myopathies differ in their clinical, pathological, and treatment realms. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2019 Apr 21;80(4):1162-1164. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: