Differential clinical features of patients with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis who have circulating anti-MDA5 autoantibodies with or without myositis-associated autoantibodies

Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) autoantibodies have been identified as myositis-specific autoantibodies that are often associated with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) and a poor prognosis due to rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) in East Asian patients. Besides anti-MDA5 autoantibodies, patients with CADM may have myositis-associated autoantibodies (MAAs), which characterize other connective tissue diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Sj ögren's syndrome.

Source: Respiratory Medicine - May 15, 2018 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Koichi Yamaguchi, Aya Yamaguchi, Chiharu Kashiwagi, Yuri Sawada, Kohei Taguchi, Kazue Umetsu, Kazuma Oshima, Megumi Uchida, Masafumi Suzuki, Shunichi Kono, Masao Takemura, Hiroaki Masubuchi, Shinsuke Kitahara, Kenichiro Hara, Toshitaka Maeno, Sei-ichiro M Source Type: research