Myositis-specific and myositis-associated antibodies in overlap myositis in comparison to primary dermatopolymyositis: Relevance for clinical classification: retrospective study of 169 patients.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The current study was performed in order to determine the prevalence of different myositis-specific and myositis-associated antibodies, as well as their association with clinical characteristics, disease course and response to therapy in 169 Hungarian patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

METHODS:

Sera of 130 primary and 39 overlap myositis including systemic sclerosis (13), rheumatoid arthritis (12), systemic lupus erythematosus (5) and Sjögren's syndrome (9) cases were analyzed. Antinuclear antibody, scleroderma-associated antibodies (anti-centromere, anti-topoisomerase I), anti-Jo-1, anti-PL-7, anti-PL-12, anti-Mi-2, anti-SRP and anti-PM-Scl, anti-Ku, anti-SS-A, anti-SS-B, anti-U1snRNP were tested. Autoantibody results were compared with clinical characteristics, disease course of overlap versus primary myositis patients, as well as with response to therapy.

RESULTS:

Associated connective tissue disease occurred in 23.1% of the patients. Myositis-associated antibodies were found in 8.5% of primary myositis patients, indicating that 11 additional primary myositis patients (23% vs. 29.6%) can be classified as overlap in all cohort according to the newly proposed diagnostic criteria. Polymyositis was found to be the most common myositis form in overlap myositis (87.2%), while scleroderma was the most common disease associated (33.3%). ANA was positive in 25.4% of primary and in 61.5% of overlap myositis cases. Altogether 39.6% of myositis patients (n=67) had autoantibodies, most commonly anti Jo-1 (18.3%) correlating with a polycyclic disease course.

CONCLUSION:

Inclusion of myositis-specific and associated antibodies into the newly proposed diagnostic criteria for inflammatory myopathies is of great importance in order to determine subclasses and to introduce adequate therapy in time.

• Authors: Andrea Váncsa, Lajos Gergely, Andrea Ponyi, Gabriella Lakos, Júlia Németh, Péter Szodoray, Katalin Dankó
• Journal: Joint bone spine (Joint Bone Spine) Vol. 77 Issue 2 Pg. 125-30 (Mar 2010) ISSN: 1778-7254 [Electronic] France
• PMID: 20188618 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright 2010 Société française de rhumatologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Autoantibodies
• Immunosuppressive Agents

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Autoantibodies (blood, immunology)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Dermatomyositis (classification, drug therapy, epidemiology, immunology)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Immunosuppressive Agents (therapeutic use)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Polymyositis (classification, drug therapy, epidemiology, immunology)
• Retrospective Studies
• Seroepidemiologic Studies
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult