Magnetic resonance imaging T 2 mapping could reflect disease status in patients with dermatomyositis or polymyositis / 中华内科杂志

This study aimed to explore the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T 2 mapping in the assessment of dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM). Thirty-three confirmed cases (myosin group) and eight healthy volunteers (healthy control group) at the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, from October 2016 to December 2017, were collected and analyzed. Multiple parameters of the myosin group were quantified, including creatine kinase (CK), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), complement C3, and complement C4. Disease status was evaluated using a panel of tools: myositis disease activity assessment tool-muscle (MDAAT-muscle), myositis disease activity assessment tool-whole (MDAAT-all), health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), medical outcomes study health survey short form-36 item (SF-36), hand muscle strength test (MMT-8) score, and MRI T 2 mapping of muscle (22 muscles in the pelvis and thighs) T 2 values. The results showed that in the myositis group, the measurements for CK, ESR, CRP, complement C3, and complement C4 were 457.2 (165.6, 1 229.2) IU/L, 20 (10, 42) mm/1h, 3.25 (2.38, 10.07) mg/L, 0.90 (0.83, 1.06) g/L, and 0.18 (0.14, 0.23) g/L, respectively. The scores for MMT-8, MDAAT-muscle, MDAAT-all, HAQ, and SF-36 were 57.12±16.23, 5.34 (4.00, 6.00), 34.63±12.62, 1.55 (0.66, 2.59), and 44.66±7.98, respectively. T 2 values were significantly higher in all 22 muscles of the pelvis and thighs of patients with DM or PM compared with the healthy controls [(54.99±11.60)ms vs. (36.62±1.66)ms, P<0.001], with the most severe lesions in the satrorius, iliopsoas, piriformis, gluteus minimus, and gluteus medius muscles. The total muscle T 2 value in the myositis group was positively correlated with CK, MDAAT-muscle, MDAAT-all, and HAQ ( r=0.461, 0.506, 0.347, and 0.510, respectively, all P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between complement C4, SF-36, and MMT-8 scores ( r=-0.424, -0.549, and -0.686, respectively, all P<0.05). Collectively, the findings from this study suggest that MRI T 2 mapping can objectively reflect the disease status of DM and PM.

Progress in plasma exchange for severe immune-related dermatoses / 中国输血杂志

Plasma exchange (PE) is effective in a part of autoimmune diseases, and its main action mechanisms include removing pathogenic factors from the patient's blood, regulating immune function, replenishing normal plasma components. The use of PE in the treatment of severe immune-related skin diseases, such as pemphigus vulgaris, toxic epidermal necrolysis and clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis, has become more widespread. This review provides an overview of the progress of PE application in severe immune-related skin diseases at home and abroad in recent years to provide new ideas for the treatment of clinical severe skin diseases.

Clinical features and risk factors in 126 patients with anti-MDA5 antibody positive dermatomyositis / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:To explore clinical factors of poor prognosis in patients with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 andtibody positive dermatomyositis (MDA5-DM).Methods:One hundred and twenty-six enrolled adults with MDA5-DM were divided into the survival group and the deceased group according to the outcomes. Survival time, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, pulmonary function tests, myositis antibodies and treatments were collected for statistical analysis. Serum concentrations of IL-15, HMGB1, and sCD163 were measured by ELISA in MDA5-DM patients and healthy controls. Mann-Whitney U nonparametric test and Student′s t-test were used to compare the continuous variables between the two groups, and χ2 or Fisher′s exact test were used for comparison of categorical variables. Cox regression analysis was used to assess the survival predictors in MDA5-DM patients. The cumulative survival rate was calculated by Kaplan-Meier curve analysis, and Log-rank tests were used to examine differences in survival curves. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that age > 57 years [ HR (95% CI)=3.05 (1.20, 7.80), P=0.020], RP-ILD [ HR (95% CI)=25.07 (5.42, 115.98), P<0.001], and levels of anti-Ro52 antibody [ HR (95% CI)=3.41 (1.36, 8.53), P=0.009] were important prognostic factors independent of multiple clinical parameters. The ELISA test results showed that the levels of serum IL-15[0.91 (0.66, 2.00)pg/ml vs. 0.51(0.39, 0.72)pg/ml, Z=-4.57, P<0.001] and HMGB1 [230.53(90.40, 394.31)ng/ml vs. 32.66 (17.82, 46.21)ng/ml, Z=-6.52, P<0.001] in MDA5-DM patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls, but there were no significant differences in the level of serum IL-15 [1.21(0.63, 2.12)pg/ml vs. 0.91(0.68, 1.66)pg/ml, Z=-0.30, P=0.766], HMGB1[267.61(167.03, 444.23)ng/ml vs. 228.35(74.74, 344.32)ng/ml, Z=0.82, P=0.413], and sCD163 [112.70(93.45, 148.51)ng/ml vs. 132.72(96.79, 203.18)ng/ml, Z=-0.62, P=0.536] between the survival group and the deceased group. Conclusion:Older age, RP-ILD, and high levels of anti-Ro52 antibody significantly increase the risk of death in MDA5-DM patients. Intensive follow-up of patients with the above factors in the early stages may help to improve the prognosis.

Clinical characteristics of 272 cases with anti-MDA5 antibody positive dermatomyositis / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical features of MDA5 antibody positive dermatomyositis (MDA5-DM) and to provide evidence for early diagnosis and treatment.Methods:From March 2019 to June 2021, 272 patients with anti-MDA5-DM from the Nanjing Medical University myositis-associated interstitial lung disease cohort were enrolled, with 76 patients with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) as the control group. The clinical characteristics and the occurrence of interstitial lung disease were analyzed. T-test was used for normally distributed and variance-homogeneous independent samples, Mann-Whitney U test for non-normally distributed data, and chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test for dichotomous variables. Results:Among the 272 anti-MDA5-DM patients, 88.6% (241/272) developed interstitial lung disease (ILD), and 33.8% (92/272) developed rapidly progressive ILD (RP-ILD). The six-month all-cause mortality rate of anti-MDA5-DM patients was 16.9% (46/272), and it was as high as 47.8% (44/92) for those with RP-ILD. Compared with ASS patients, anti-MDA5-DM patients had a significantly higher proportion of males, arthritis, Gottron's sign, heliotrope rash, V-sign, periungual erythema, and skin ulcers ( P<0.05). The levels of ALT, AST, and ferritin were significantly increased ( P<0.05). Compared with non-RP-ILD patients, RP-ILD patients had a significantly higher proportion of males [35.9%(33/92) vs. 23.3%(42/180), χ2=4.79, P=0.029], higher levels of LDH [387 (276, 547) U/L vs. 310 (245, 400) U/L, Z=-3.67, P<0.001], ESR [45.5 (29.25, 63.25) mm/1 h vs. 31.2 (20, 51) mm/1 h, Z=-3.71, P<0.001], CRP [10.9 (4.1, 25.2) mg/L vs. 4.54 (2.58, 9.08) mg/L, Z=-4.97, P<0.001], ferritin [1 340 (650, 2 000) ng/ml vs. 556 (203, 1 186) ng/ml, Z=-4.40, P<0.001], and a higher proportion of anti-Ro52 antibody and anti-MDA5 antibody co-positivity [87.0%(80/92) vs. 52.2%(94/180), χ2=31.87, P<0.001]. Conclusion:Anti-MDA5-DM patients are prone to develop RP-ILD and have poor prognosis.

Clinical characteristics of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with dermatomyositis associated with positive anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and prognosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in patients with dermatomyositis associated with positive anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5-DM).Methods:A total of 55 patients with MDA5-DM were analyzed. Patients were divided into IPA (+) group (14 cases) and IPA (-) group (41 cases) based on the presence of IPA. Microbiological examination and clinical data were analyzed. Risk factor analysis was performed using Binary Logistic regression, and survival analysis was carried out using Kaplan-Meier method.Results:Aspergillus flavus (5/14, 35.7%) and Aspergillus fumigatus (4/14, 28.6%) were the most common species in MDA5-DM patients with IPA. Compared to the IPA (-) group, IPA (+) group had higher serum level of α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (246 U/L vs. 191 U/L, Z=-2.02, P=0.043) and ferritin [1 306.7(518.7, 2 977.8)ng/ml vs. 472.6(269.0, 792.1)ng/ml, Z=-2.09, P=0.036], lower CD8 + T lymphocyte counts {[111.5 (68.3, 214.0)]×10 6/L vs. [188.0(141.0, 270.0)]×10 6/L, Z=-2.18, P=0.029}, and more positive BALF GM tests [70.0%(7/10) vs. 18.9%(7/37), χ2=9.82, P=0.004]. Elevated serum ferritin was found to be an independent risk factor for IPA occurrence [adjusted OR (95% CI)=1.001 (1.000, 1.002), P=0.031)]. In addition, the 6-month cumulative survival rate was significantly lower in the IPA (+) group than in the IPA (-) group (78.6% vs. 97.6%, P=0.021). Conclusion:The mortality of MDA5-DM patients is increased after IPA infection. Elevated serum ferritin is an independent risk factor for IPA occurrence, and active prevention and treatment of IPA are expected to improve the prognosis of patients.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of male dermatomyositis patients with positive anti-melanoma differentiation associated gene 5 antibody / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of male with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) autoantibody.Methods:The clinical data of 246 patients with DM and anti-MDA5 autoantibodies hospitalized by Jiangsu Myositis Cooperation Group from 2017 to 2020 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Chi-square test was performed to compared between counting data groups; Quantitative data were expressed by M ( Q1, Q3), and rank sum test was used for comparison between groups; Single factor survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test; Cox regression analysis were used for multivariate survival analysis. Results:①The male group had a higher proportion of rash at the sun exposure area [67.1%(47/70) vs 52.8%(93/176), χ2=4.18, P=0.041] and V-sign [50.0%(35/70) vs 30.7%(54/176), χ2=8.09, P=0.004] than the female group. The male group had higher levels of creatine kinase [112(18, 981)U/L vs 57 (13.6, 1 433)U/L, Z=-3.50, P<0.001] and ferritin [1 500 (166, 32 716)ng/ml vs 569 (18, 14 839)ng/ml, Z=-5.85, P<0.001] than the female group. The proportion of ILD [40.0%(28/70) vs 59.7%(105/176), χ2=7.82, P=0.020] patients and the red blood cell sedimentation rate[31.0(4.0, 101.5)mm/1 h vs 43.4(5.0, 126.5)mm/1 h, Z=-2.22, P=0.026] in the male group was lower than that of the female group, but the proportion of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (PR-ILD) [47.1%(33/70) vs 31.3%(55/176), χ2=5.51, P=0.019] was higher than that of the female group. ②In male patients with positive anti-MDA5 antibodies,the death group had a shorter course of disease[1.0(1.0, 3.0) month vs 2.5(0.5,84) month, Z=-3.07, P=0.002], the incidence of arthritis [16.7%(4/24) vs 42.2%(19/45), χ2=4.60, P=0.032] were low than those in survival group,while aspartate aminotransferase (AST)[64(22.1, 565)U/L vs 51(14,601)U/L, Z=-2.42, P=0.016], lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) [485(24,1 464)U/L vs 352(170, 1 213)U/L, Z=-3.38, P=0.001], C-reactive protein (CRP) [11.6(2.9, 61.7) mg/L vs 4.95(0.6, 86.4) mg/L, Z=-1.96, P=0.050], and ferritin levels [2 000(681, 7 676) vs 1 125 (166, 32 716)ng/ml, Z=-3.18, P=0.001] were higher than those in the survival group, and RP-ILD [95.8%(23/24) vs 22.2%(10/45), χ2=33.99, P<0.001] occurred at a significantly higher rate. ③Cox regression analysis indicated that the course of disease LDH level, and RP-ILD were related factors for the prognosis of male anti-MDA5 antibodies [ HR (95% CI)=0.203(0.077, 0.534), P=0.001; HR (95% CI)=1.002(1.001, 1.004), P=0.003; HR (95% CI)=95.674 (10.872, 841.904), P<0.001]. Conclusion:The clinical manifestations of male anti-MDA5 antibody-positive patients are different from those of female. The incidence of ILD is low, but the proportion of PR-ILD is high. The course of disease, serum LDH level, and RP-ILD are prognostic factors of male anti-MDA5 antibody-positive patients.

A new proposal for phenotypic classification and outcome assessment of dermatomyositis based on clinical manifestations and serological testing

Abstract Background Dermatomyositis (DM) is an infrequent disease subgroup of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies characterized by distinct skin lesions. However, high heterogeneity makes clinical diagnosis and treatment of DM very challenging. Objectives Unsupervised classification in DM patients and analysis of key factors related to clinical outcomes. Methods This retrospective study was conducted between 2017 and 2022 at the Department of Rheumatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. 162 DM patients were enrolled for unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis. In addition, we divided the clinical outcomes of DM patients into four subgroups: withdrawal, stabilization, aggravation, and death, and compared the clinical profiles amongst the subgroups. Results Out of 162 DM patients, three clusters were defined. Cluster 1 (n = 40) was mainly grouped by patients with prominent muscular involvement and mild Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). Cluster 2 (n = 72) grouped patients with skin rash, anti-Melanoma Differentiation Associated protein 5 positive (anti-MDA5+), and Rapid Progressive Interstitial Lung Disease (RP-ILD). Cluster 3 (n = 50) grouped patients with the mildest symptoms. The proportion of death increased across the three clusters (cluster 3 < cluster 1 < cluster 2). Study limitations The number of cases was limited for the subsequent construction and validation of predictive models. We did not review all skin symptoms or pathological changes in detail. Conclusions We reclassified DM into three clusters with different risks for poor outcome based on diverse clinical profiles. Clinical serological testing and cluster analysis are necessary to help clinicians evaluate patients during follow-up and conduct phenotype-based personalized care in DM.

Hipertensión arterial pulmonar en pacientes con dermatomiositis juvenil y esclerosis sistémica en un centro pediátrico de tercer nivel

INTRODUCCIÓN: La hipertensión arterial pulmonar puede estar asociada secundariamente a enfermedades del tejido conectivo. Entre estas enfermedades, predominan la esclerosis sistémica y la dermatomiositis juvenil. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo, descriptivo y transversal. Se incluyeron todos los pacientes con diagnóstico de dermatomiositis juvenil y esclerosis sistémica que acudieron a nuestro hospital. Posteriormente se verificaron los niveles de presión arterial pulmonar mediante ecocardiografía. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 58 pacientes, de los cuales sólo 17 pacientes tuvieron ecocardiografía diagnóstica. Entre ellos, dos pacientes presentaron hipertensión arterial pulmonar. CONCLUSIÓN: La detección oportuna de la hipertensión arterial pulmonar en las enfermedades del tejido conectivo es esencial. Generalmente es asintomático. Es necesario adherirse al protocolo internacional que sugiere realizar ecocardiografía en todos los pacientes con dermatomiositis juvenil y esclerosis sistémica.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary arterial hypertension may be secondary associated with connective tissue diseases. Among these diseases, systemic sclerosis and juvenile dermatomyositis predominate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out. All patients with a diagnosis of juvenile dermatomyositis and systemic sclerosis who attended our hospital were included. Pulmonary arterial pressure levels were subsequently verified by echocardiography. RESULTS: 58 patients were included, of which only 17 patients had a diagnostic echocardiography. Among them, two patients presented pulmonary arterial hypertension. CONCLUSION: Timely detection of pulmonary arterial hypertension in connective tissue diseases is essential. It is generally asymptomatic. It is necessary to adhere to the international protocol that suggests performing echocardiography in all patients with juvenile dermatomyositis and systemic sclerosis.

Characterization of patients with dermatomyositis in a university hospital in Colombia

Introduction: Dermatomyositis is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy characterized by the presence of skin lesions; it is considered a heterogeneous disease, due to its clinical presentation, course, and prognosis. In Colombia there are few records that describe the clinical characteristics of these patients. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Medical records of patients who consulted a university hospital in Colombia between January 2004 and December 2019 were reviewed. The records were obtained using databases from the dermatology, rheumatology, dermatopathology, and electrophysiology units, and CIE10 diagnostic codes. Results: Seventy patients with a dermatomyositis diagnosis were found, 63 (90%) fulfilled the Bohan and Peter diagnostic criteria and 7 (10%) had amyopathic dermatomyositis, with an average age of 43 years (SD ± 15.3). Forty-eight were women (68.5%). The most frequent clinical signs were Gottron's papules 80%, periorbital violaceous (heliotrope) erythema with edema 78.5% (n = 55) and poikiloderma 75.7% (n = 53). The most frequently found systemic manifestations were dysphagia (21.4%, n = 15), interstitial lung disease (11.4%, n = 8), and pulmonary hypertension (8.5%, n = 6). Cancer was documented in 8.5% (n = 6) of patients. Conclusion: We showed clinical information of patients with dermatomyositis in a referral hospital in Colombia. The data obtained is consistent with information from other case series worldwide.

Introducción: La dermatomiositis es una miopatía inflamatoria idiopática que se caracteriza por presentar lesiones en la piel; por su presentación clínica, su curso y su pronóstico, se la considera una enfermedad heterogénea. En Colombia existen pocos registros que describan las características clínicas de los pacientes afectados por esta enfermedad. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, se revisaron las historias clínicas de pacientes que consultaron a un hospital universitario en Colombia entre enero del 2004 y diciembre del 2019. Los registros se obtuvieron utilizando bases de datos de las unidades de dermatología, reumatología, dermatopatología, electrofisiología y códigos diagnósticos CIE10 asociados con dermatomiositis. Resultados: Se obtuvieron 70 pacientes con diagnóstico de dermatomiositis, 63 (90%) de los cuales cumplían criterios de clasificación de Bohan y Peter, en tanto que 7 (10%) presentaban dermatomiositis amiopática. El promedio de edad fue de 43 arios (DS ± 15,3); 48 fueron mujeres (68,5%); los signos clínicos más frecuentes fueron: pápulas de Gottron (80%, n = 56), eritema heliotropo (78,5%, n = 55) y poiquilodermia (75,7%, n = 53). Las manifestaciones sistêmicas más comúnmente encontradas fueron: disfagia (21,4%, n = 15), enfermedad pulmonar intersticial (11,4%, n = 8) e hipertensión pulmonar (8,5%, n = 6). Se documentó cáncer en el 8,5% (n = 6) de los pacientes. Conclusión: Se presenta información clínica de pacientes con dermatomiositis en un centro hospitalario de referencia en Colombia; los datos obtenidos concuerdan con la información de otros estudios de series de casos a escala mundial.

Clinical Profile of Sharp Syndrome: Is it rare in India?

Background: In 1972, Dr Sharp and colleagues described a new connective tissue disease, characterized by overlapping features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), and polymyositis/ dermatomyositis (PM/DM) and by the presence of antibodies against the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein autoantigen (U1 snRNP). This condition was termed mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and proposed as a distinct disease. Later, after observing the clinical evolution of MCTD patients, Sharp himself agreed that the original concept of MCTD had to be modified and that Internal organs were at risk for serious complications; patients were not always steroid responsive; prognosis was not always benign. Materials and methods: Patients in the age group of 15-50 years diagnosed to have connective tissue diseases were included. 8 patients in the age group of 15-50 admitted in Medicine department were taken and they were evaluated for the clinical profile of sharp syndrome by thorough clinical examination, routine laboratory tests and special investigations depending on the clinical profile. Results: 8 patients with connective tissue disease attending the medicine OPD were studied. Of these 8 patients were female patients. The median age of onset was 36 years, 8 patients met criteria by sharp and Alarcon-Segovia. The clinical features of patients at presentation are Raynaud抯 phenomena, Puffy fingers, esophagus dysmotility, skin rash, interstitial lung disease, arthritis, pulmonary hypertension, myositis, anemia. Conclusion: SHARP syndrome is a rare condition, as evidenced by the small series of cases reported to date. Diagnosis is based on clinical and paraclinical criteria. The evolution can be interspersed with various complications that can affect the short, medium and long-term prognosis

Research progress of juvenile dermatomyositis with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is the most common subtype of juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (JIIM), characterized by non-suppurative inflammation of skin and muscle.JDM frequently involves important organs such as lungs.JDM with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene (MDA) 5 antibody has unique clinical characteristics, mainly including skin mucosal ulcer, palm papule, hair loss and arthritis.Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is its most serious complication.The levels of serum ferritin, Krebs von den Lungen-6 and interleukin-18 can be used as important indicators of disease activity and prognosis.Glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressants are the basic treatment for the disease.Immunosuppressants include calcineurin inhibitors (Cyclosporine A and Tacrolimus), Cyclophosphamide, Azathioprine, Mycophenolate Mofetil, etc.Refractory patients can also be treated with Rituximab, Janus kinase inhibitor and human immunoglobulin.Early active treatment of JDM with anti-MDA 5 antibody can alleviate the symptoms, reverse organ damage and improve the long-term prognosis.

Risk factors analysis and prediction model establishment of anti-MDA5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis with rapid progression of interstitial lung disease / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To analyze the Risk factors for rapid progression of inpatients with anti-melanoma differentiation associated gene5 (MDA5) antibody-positive dermamyositis (DM) complicated with interstitial lung disease (ILD), and construct a clinical predictive model.Methods:A total of 63 hospitalized patients with anti MDA5 positive DM combined with ILD (MDA5+ DM-ILD) from January 1, 2016 to May 30, 2022 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Military Medical University were included in the study. They were divided into a control group (DM-ILD) and an observation group (DM-RPPILD) based on whether they had rapidly progressing interstitial lung disease (RPILD). Retrospective collection and organization of clinical case data from patients were conducted, and binary logistic regression was used to summarize the risk factors of DM-RPILD. R software was used to construct a clinical prediction model for RPILD occurrence using training set data, and validation set data was used to verify the predictive ability of the model.Results:The proportion of patients with SpO 2<90% at the initial diagnosis of ILD, the titers of anti MDA5 antibodies, immunoglobulin M (IgM), serum ferritin (FER) levels, and positive rates of anti Ro52 antibodies in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, the lymphocyte (LYM) count level was lower than that of the control group (all P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed SpO 2<90% at the initial diagnosis of ILD, FER level, LYM count, and anti Ro52 antibody were the influencing factors for the occurrence of RPILD (all P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of the training set prediction model for predicting resistance to MDA5+ DM-RPILD was 0.922(95% CI: 0.887-0.957), with a sensitivity of 95.7% and a specificity of 72.5%; In the validation set, the prediction model predicted an AUC of 0.939(95% CI: 0.904-0.974) for resistance to MDA5+ DM-RPILD, with a sensitivity of 90.0% and a specificity of 88.9%; The calibration curves of the training and validation sets indicated that the predictive model had good calibration ability. Conclusions:SpO 2<90% at the initial diagnosis of ILD, FER levels increase, LYM count levels decrease, and anti Ro52 antibody positivity are risk factors for RPILD. The constructed clinical model has good predictive ability and has certain guiding significance for clinical work.

Clinical features of patients with connective tissue disease combined with sarcoidosis / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical features of patients with coexisting connective tissue disease (CTD) and sarcoisosis and to avoid misdiagnosis and mistreatment.Methods:To analyze the clinical manifestations, laboratory data, imaging and pathological features of patients with CTD combined with sarcoidosis in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1985 to December 2021.Results:There were 17 patients with CTD(including 10 SS, 2 DM, 2 PBC, 1 SLE, 1 RA and 1 UCTD), combined with sarcoidosis, with a mean age of (55±10) years old and the ratio of male-to-female was 1:16. Eight patients were diagnosed as CTD before sarcoidosis, while 3 patients after sarcoidosis. The other 6 patients were diagnosed with the two diseases almost simultaneously. Lymphadenopathy(12/17), pulmonary nodules (8/17), subcutaneous nodules (4/17), rash (4/17) and blurred vision (1/17) were the main manifestations of patients with the onset of nodular disease. Nine patients were treated based on the presentation of sardoisis and 5 patients for CTD; 3 patients were treated for both diseases at the same time. All 17 patients discharged with improvement after treatment.Conclusion:When sarcoidosis do coexists with CTD, occult CTD might occur. It is important to investigate specific manifestations including pathological features of sarcoidosis and differentiate it from CTD.

Dermatomyositis with kidney neoplasm: two cases report and literature review / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of dermatomyositis with kidney neoplasm.Methods:The data of two patients with dermatomyositis complicated with kidney neoplasm in Tongji Hospital from January to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The first case was a 55-year-old female, who was admitted with the chief complaints of recurrent erythema of upper extremities for 2 months and facial erythema for 1 month. Physical examination: erythema can be seen on upper limbs and face, no tenderness or percussion pain in kidney area. Myositis enzyme profile test showed that anti-Mi-2 antibody and anti-SSA /Ro-52 antibody were positive. Contrast CT showed nodular uneven enhancement in the right kidney with a size of 50 mm×41 mm. The second case was a 58-year-old female, who was admitted with the chief complaints of kidney occupying for a month. Physical examination: flaky erythema on face, no tenderness or percussion pain in kidney area. Myositis enzyme profile test showed that anti-Ro-52 antibody and anti-MDA5 antibody were positive. Contrast CT showed a significantly uneven enhanced mass with a size of about 50 mm×41 mm on left kidney. Both patients were diagnosed with kidney neoplasm before surgery and underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in Tongji Hospital.Results:Both patients received regular oral prednisone after surgery. The pathological presentation of case 1 was papillary renal cell carcinoma, the facial erythema subsided 1 month after surgery, and there was no tumor recurrence for 13 months. The pathological presentation of case 2 was clear cell renal cell carcinoma, facial erythema subsided 2 weeks after surgery, and there was no tumor recurrence for 12 months.Conclusions:The diagnosis of dermatomyositis should be combined with clinical manifestations and laboratory examination, and the possibility of malignant tumor should be excluded due to the high likelihood of concomitant malignancy. For patients with dermatomyositis with kidney neoplasm, the main treatment is still surgery, and supplemented with glucocorticoid therapy.

Early diagnosis of dermatomyositis and early recognition of visceral injury / 中华皮肤科杂志

Dermatomyositis, a common autoimmune disease in clinical practice, often involves muscles and lungs, and can be complicated by malignant tumors, and the lung involvement can be fatal. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of dermatomyositis is of great benefit for the reduction of muscle and lung injury, early recognition and management of malignant tumors, and improvement of prognosis and survival rate of patients. However, the heterogeneity and various clinical manifestations of dermatomyositis pose challenges to early diagnosis. This article describes risk factors for dermatomyositis complicated by rapidly progressive pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, dysphagia or malignant tumors, and proposes a mode of "rashes + nailfold capillary abnormalities + myositis antibodies" for the early diagnosis of dermatomyositis, early recognition of important visceral injury and tumors, and early management, in order to improve overall survival rate of patients.

A Case Report of Fabry Disease Associated with Dermatomyositis / 罕见病研究

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease, and its pathogenesis is the deficient of α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) activity caused by GLA mutation, which leads to accumulation of the glycosphingolipid globotriaosylceramide (Gb-3) and other glycosphingolipids in the lysosome of cells, resulting in the dysfunction of relevant tissues and organs. We report the clinical characteristics of a case of Fabry disease with dermatomyositis. The patient, a 61-year-old male, presented with intermittent amaurosis, limb weakness and dyspnea on exertion. Based on the low α-Gal A activity and positive anti-myositis antibodies, diagnosis of Fabry disease with dermatomyositis were confirmed. We reviewed the relevant literature and found that co-existence of Fabry disease and autoimmune diseases was very rare, but it is not rare for patients with Fabry disease to have some autoimmune antibody positive, suggesting that Fabry disease and autoimmune diseases may be related in pathogenesis.

Research progress on the dermatomyositis specific autoantibodies and malignancy associated dermatomyositis / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Dermatomyositis(DM)is an autoimmune disease often complicated with malignant tumors.More than 50%of DM patients have myositis specific autoantibodies in their bodies.DM specific autoantibodies[including anti-migration inhibitory factor(Mi)-2 antibody,anti-nuclear matrix protein(NXP)-2 antibody,anti-transcription intermediary factor(TIF)1-γ antibody,and anti-small ubiquitin like modifier activating enzyme(SAE)antibody]play important roles in the pathogenesis of malignancy associated DM.Revealing the role of DM specific autoantibodies in the development of malignant tumors in DM patients can provide important evidence for accurately assessing the risk of developing malignant tumors in DM patients,and also provide new ideas for clinical diagnosis of DM and precise treatment.

Clinical Characteristics of Dermatomyositis with Double-positive Anti-melanoma Differentiation Associated Protein-5 Antibody and Anti-Ro-52 Antibody / 医学研究杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of melanoma differentiation associated protein-5(MDA5)antibody and anti-Ro-52 antibody in double-positive dermatomyositis.Methods Forty-seven dermatomyositis patients with anti-MDA5 antibody positive admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University,Tangdu Hospital from August 2018 to July 2022 were collected.According to whether anti-Ro-52 antibody was positive,they were divided into MDA5 + Ro-52 pos-itive group(n =23)and MDA5 + Ro-52 negative group(n =24).The clinical data of the two groups were retrospectively analyzed,and the differences in the clinical characteristics,laboratory indicators,incidence of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease and mortality between the two groups were compared.Results Compared between the two groups,the incidence of Gotton rash and hoarseness in the MDA5 + Ro-52 positive group was higher than that in the MDA5 + Ro-52 negative group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).There were no significant difference in the incidence of skin ulcers,periapillary erythema,positive rash,cape sign,fever,joint pain and sore throat(P>0.05).Lymphocyte count[0.65(0.50,0.81)×109/L vs 1.18(0.91,1.63)×109/L,z =-3.821,P =0.001]and serum albumin[33.40(29.40,35.67)g/L vs 37.25(32.65,40.27)g/L,z =-3.325,P =0.001],oxygen partial pressure[66.60(58.60,86.80)mmHg vs 88.60(75.67,95.72)mmHg,z =-2.373,P = 0.018],blood oxygen saturation[90.40%(89.00%,95.00%)vs 94.90%(90.50%,97.73%),z =-2.353,P = 0.019]in MDA5 + Ro-52 positive group were lower than those in MDA5 + Ro-52 negative group,and the difference were statistically significant(P<0.05).Erythrocyte sedimenta-tion rate[41.00(30.00,62.50)mm/h vs 28.50(21.50,48.75)mm/h,z =2.161,P =0.031]and serum lactate dehydrogenase lev-els[426.00(335.50,605.50)U/L vs 260.00(217.50,373.25)U/L,z =3.313,P =0.011],serum ferritin level[1210.00(465.50,2749.00)μg/L vs 366.00(150.25,629.25)μg/L,z =2.856,P =0.004],the incidence of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease(73.91%vs 25.00%,χ2 =11.245,P =0.001)and mortality(43.47%vs8.33%,χ2 =7.630,P =0.006)in MDA5 + Ro-52posi-tive group were higher than those in anti-MDA5 + Ro-52 negative group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Dermatomyositis patients with double-positive anti-MDA5 antibody and anti-Ro-52 antibody are more likely to have increased serum serum lactate dehydrogenase and serum ferritin,decreased serum albumin and peripheral blood lymphocyte count,and more likely to be complicated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease and hypoxemia.The prognosis is poor and the mortality is high,which should be paid attention to by clinicians.

Expression and clinical significance of IL-17 in idiopathic inflammatory myositis / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:In this study, the role of IL-17 in the pathogenesis of idiopathic myositis (IIM) was preliminarily investigated by detecting the expression of IL-17 in the muscle tissues of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM) and normal controls.Methods:Twenty-eight patients (20 in DM group with dermatomyositis and 8 in ASS group with anti-synthase syndrome) who were diagnosed with IIM after muscle biopsy and autoantibody detection in our hospital for the first time from October 2019 to August 2021 were included. Twelve cases with normal muscle tissue matched for age and sex were included as the control group. Western blot and immunohistochemical techniques were used to detect the expression level of IL-17 in muscle tissue, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum IL-6. Mann-Whitney U rank sum test was used to compare the difference of IL-17 expression in muscle tissue between the two groups, and non-parametric test was used for comparison between multiple groups. Chi-square test and Spearman rank correlation analysis were used, and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:① The expression level of IL-17 in IIM muscle tissue[1.63(1.30, 2.05)pg/ml was higher than that in control group[1.00(0.96, 1.00)pg/ml, and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=-3.52, P<0.001). The difference be-tween DM[1.94(1.58, 2.14)pg/ml] and ASS[1.22(1.04,1.55)pg/ml was statistically significant ( Z=-3.20, P=0.001). ② Compared with healthy control group [4.08(3.01, 5.67)pg/ml, the expression of IL-6 in ⅡM serum[8.88(4.93, 13.64) was high ( Z=-3.01, P=0.003), which was positively correlated with the expression of IL-17 ( r=0.42, P=0.027). ③ The ex-pression of IL-17 in muscle tissue was higher in IIM associated with muscle weakness[1.91(1.56, 2.14) pg/ml vs 1.50(1.04, 2.00)pg/ml] ( Z=-1.38, P=0.020), dysphagia [2.06(1.99, 2.14)pg/ml vs 1.62(1.52, 2.04)pg/ml] ( Z=-2.74, P=0.010) and skin involvement[1.98(1.57, 2.14)pg/ml vs 1.04(0.86, 1.61)pg/ml] ( Z=-3.20, P<0.010), and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). ④IL-17 was positively correlated with Myoact-total activity ( r=0.51, P=0.006), Myoact-muscle symptom ( r=0.45, P=0.016), erythrocyte sedimen tation ( r=0.48, P=0.020), and myoenzyme increase ( r=0.56, P=0.002). Conclusion:IL-17 and IL-6 are synergistically involved in the pathogenesis of IIM, suggesting that IL-17 is the therapeutic target of IIM.

Construction of a classification model for image subtypes based on the radiomics features of patients with dermatomyositis/polymyositis-related interstitial lung disease for machine learning / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of classifying imaging patterns of dermatomyositis/polymyositis-related interstitial lung disease (DM/PM-ILD) into subtypes based on chest CT radiomics features and a model was constructed by machine learning algorithms.Methods:From November 2011 to November 2020, 107 patients diagnosed with PM/DM-ILD at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 315 cases with chest CT were collected. Doctors pre-classified image patterns, including 105 cases with non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), 90 cases with organizing pneumonia (OP), and 66 cases with non-specific interstitial pneumonia combined with organizing pneumonia (NSIP+OP), 35 cases with common interstitial pneumonia (UIP), and 19 cases with diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), ANOVA was used to test the difference of baseline clinical information among the imaging classification groups. All images were divided into the training set and the est set by stratified random sampling at a ratio of 4∶1. In each CT scan, 3D slicer was used to segment each lung lobe, and then reconstructed into 3 mm 3 of voxels, and Pyradiomics library was used to extract the radiomic features of the whole lung and each lobe. The multi-classification goal was achieved by constructing random forest base classifiers for each of the five groups and then voting as the final model. In the process of constructing the base classifier, firstly, the balance between sample groups was achieved by SMOTETomek comprehensive sampling, and the optimal feature set was selected by independent sample t test and L1 regularized least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. In this study, the Radiomics model was constructed based on chest CT radiomics features, and the Radiomics + model was constructed by introducing gender and age information. The base classifier and the integration model use the mean accuracy and the area under the receiver operator characteristics analysis curve (AUC) to evaluate the performance, respectively. Results:There was a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05) between the ages of the NSIP, OP, NSIP+OP, UIP, and DAD groups [(57±13),(53±8),(54±10),(44±11), and (46±8)years old, respectively], F=11.82, P<0.001. In the Radiomics model, for each group of NSIP, OP, NSIP+OP, UIP, and DAD, the AUCs of the training set were 0.87, 0.91, 0.91, 0.96, and 0.99, respectively, and the AUC of the test set were 0.81, 0.82, 0.79, 0.93, 0.89. In the final Radiomics + model, for each group of NSIP, OP, NSIP+OP, UIP, and DAD, the AUCs of the training set were 0.89, 0.91, 0.92, 0.97, and 0.99, respectively, and the AUCs of the test set were 0.84, 0.82, 0.78, 0.94, 0.90. Conclusion:Based on chest CT radiomics features and key clinical features (sex, age), the Radiomics + model constructed by machine learning has good classification performance for the imaging patterns of PM/DM-LD.