Inflammatory myopathies
RSS feedContrasting trends in anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis
Japanese researchers have studied data from 154 patients diagnosed with dermatomyositis (DM), with the presence of autoantibodies directed against the MDA5 (menaloma differentiation-associated gene) antigen: in these forms, muscular involvement is generally modest, unlike interstitial lung disease, which often takes center stage, mortality is particularly high in the medium term (26% of cases studied), although … [Read more]
The serological signature of certain types of myositis could be useful in establishing a pulmonary prognosis
British and Spanish researchers retrospectively analysed the profile of myositis-specific autoantibodies in a group of patients with inflammatory myopathy with associated pneumonitis (ILD-IMM) and in another where the patients had interstitial pneumonitis with autoimmune features (IPAF): 430 patients recruited in the UK and belonging mainly (80%) to the first group were included in the study, … [Read more]
The favourable results of topical application of sodium thiosulphate in dermatomyositis
The CATSS-O retrospective study, for Calcifications Treated by Sodium Thiosulphate – Observational, included data acquired between 2014 and 2020 from 35 patients, including 28 with dermatomyositis or scleromyositis with ectopic calcifications that were often multiple (calcinosis). After six months of daily applications of a sodium thiosulphate-based ointment (25%) prepared by the Limoges University Hospital pharmacy, … [Read more]
Thrombotic microangiopathy observed in the course of SRP autoimmune necrotising myopathy
A Japanese team of neurologists and nephrologists report the observation of a 61-year-old patient diagnosed with autoimmune necrotising myopathy: the clinical history and the positivity of anti-SRP autoantibodies were consistent with this diagnosis, treatment consisted of corticosteroids and immunoglobulins, followed by tacrolimus, eight weeks after initiation of this treatment, thrombotic microangiopathy was observed and confirmed … [Read more]
A West Indian cohort of patients with juvenile dermatomyositis
Specialists in rheumatology and neuromuscular pathology in the French West Indies report the clinical and biological data of 21 adolescents aged between 2.5 and 14 diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) between 2000 and 2023 in hospitals in the French West Indies-Guyana region: in addition to motor deficits, these patients had dysphagia (two-thirds of cases) and … [Read more]
Histological and molecular confirmation of the tolerability of atorvastatin in dermatomyositis and antisynthetase syndrome
A Brazilian team conducted a pilot study of the effects of atorvastatin 20mg/day versus placebo for 12 weeks in 20 people with stable dermatomyositis (DM) or antisynthetase syndrome (SAS) and hyperlipidaemia. The results, published in 2021, showed good clinical muscle tolerance and an improvement in the lipid profile on atorvastatin. The same team studied muscle … [Read more]
Two new biomarkers useful for diagnosing inclusion myositis and autoimmune necrotizing myopathy
Three Belgian researchers tested the diagnostic value of two serum markers in muscle pathology: the chemokine CXCL10 and the cytokine GDF5. These biomarkers were measured in 21 patients with autoimmune necrotising myopathy (ANIM), 18 with sporadic inclusion myositis (SIM), three with overlapping myositis, two with dermatomyositis and one with an anti-synthetase syndrome, all were compared … [Read more]
guide to systematic screening for cancers associated with myositis
At the initiative of the international consortium IMACS (International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group), experts in adult idiopathic inflammatory myopathies have drawn up recommendations designed to improve cancer screening in this type of disease: online surveys combined with a Delphi-type methodology served as the basis for the experts’ deliberations, cancer risk stratification and screening … [Read more]
Facial involvement is common in inclusion myositis
Following on from previous work on facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), researchers in Marseilles have studied the characteristics of facial muscle deficit in people with inclusion myositis (IBM), an inflammatory pathology preferentially affecting a middle-aged population: the study cohort comprised 32 IBM sufferers, the protocol consisted of video analysis of facial movements during seven specific tasks, … [Read more]
IV immunoglobulins are particularly effective against the cutaneous signs of dermatomyositis
The good results of the international ProDERM trial, evaluating Octagam® intravenous immunoglobulin versus placebo in 95 adults with dermatomyositis, led to an extension of the indication in 2022. Post-hoc analysis of these data shows that monthly infusions of Octagam® : a significant improvement versus placebo in the cutaneous manifestations of the disease (CDASI-A and CDASI-D … [Read more]
