Inflammatory myopathies
RSS feedIn some forms of myositis, a decline in vital capacity during the first year is a poor prognostic sign
American rheumatologists have investigated myositis complicated by interstitial lung disease, focusing in particular on the predictive value of respiratory function measurements over time: a cohort of 149 adults (median age 50 years) was established at a single US centre, comprising mainly patients being monitored for an antisynthetase syndrome (73%), respiratory function tests were carried out … [Read more]
A comparative analysis of antibody assays in a large Brazilian cohort of myositis patients
Rheumatologists reviewed the clinical and immunological data of 351 adults diagnosed with inflammatory myopathy, with the aim of determining the prevalence of antinuclear antibodies by comparing it with that of other autoantibodies: three-quarters of the sample were positive for antinuclear antibodies (ANA), most commonly isolated in the nucleus, and less frequently in the cytoplasmic or … [Read more]
Significant variability in autoantibody tests
Autoantibody testing is a key step in the diagnosis of many autoimmune diseases, including myositis. Against this backdrop, an international consortium of laboratories responsible for these tests has compared its practices and issued recommendations: 15 laboratories (in Europe, North America, Australia and Japan) took part in this comparative study and tested 24 reference sera from … [Read more]
Rare forms of transition between dermatomyositis and ankylosing spondylitis
American clinicians investigated a number of cases of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) in which symptoms and signs consistent with one of the three forms (axial, peripheral or psoriatic) of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) subsequently developed: seven patients met the criteria (clinical and laboratory) for both conditions, an average of seven years elapsed between the diagnosis of JDM … [Read more]
Certain autoimmune diseases, including myositis, are caused by the internalisation of autoantibodies
Researchers from Strasbourg, as part of an international consortium, report the results of large-scale transcriptomic analyses conducted in the context of autoimmune muscle diseases: using in situ RNA sequencing, it was possible to identify transcriptomic signatures specific to certain autoantibodies, these were studied in particular in muscle biopsies from dermatomyositis (Mi2-positive) and scleroderma-overlapping myositis (PM/Scl-positive), … [Read more]
Cases of spontaneous remission of autoimmune necrotizing myopathy
An international consortium of clinicians, including researchers from the Institute*, examined specific cases of statin-associated autoimmune necrotizing myopathy (IMNM), particularly those involving anti-HMGCR autoantibodies: four patients experienced spontaneous remission after discontinuing statins, without the need for heavy immunosuppressive therapy, this remission lasted 6 to 12 months, however, two of the patients relapsed upon reintroduction of … [Read more]
Caution is advised with certain herbal supplements in patients with autoimmune diseases
American doctors have examined the potential risks of over-the-counter herbal products due to their impact on the immune systems of patients with autoimmune conditions such as dermatomyositis: their conclusions are based on a literature review that identified fifteen substances proven (in humans, animals, or cell models) to have an immunostimulatory effect; these non-pharmaceutical products are … [Read more]
The use of autologous CD19 CAR-T cells in refractory autoimmune diseases
A European consortium of researchers reviews the therapeutic use of genetically modified autologous T cells (CAR-T cells): this autologous cell therapy was administered to patients with autoimmune diseases resistant to standard treatments (lupus, scleroderma, and myositis) as part of a Phase I/IIa trial called CASTLE, the product used, zorpo-cel, is a CD19-type CAR-T analog, 24 … [Read more]
How to respond to hyperkinase: recommendations from the European Academy of Neurology
The European Academy of Neurology (EAN), the leading European professional body in neurology, has brought together experts to discuss the diagnostic approach to be adopted in cases of chronic elevation of CPK-type muscle enzymes: this condition is thought to affect 1.3% of the general population, whether individuals are asymptomatic or have few symptoms, various scenarios … [Read more]
French study identifies prognostic markers for interstitial lung disease associated with anti-synthase syndrome
Conducted in seven reference or competence centres in north-eastern France, the TYPASS retrospective study included 132 adults with antisynthetase syndrome and interstitial lung disease: 39% of them had rapidly progressive lung disease, the three factors identified as being associated with this rapid progression were the presence of fever, organised pneumonia or pleural effusion, in addition, … [Read more]
