ABSTRACT
Because overlap syndromes (OSs) are rarely described, we analyzed retrospectively their frequencies and correlations in Brazilian series of 31 patients with dermatomyositis (DM)/polymyositis (PM) associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) attended at a referral single center. Myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs: anti-Jo-1, anti-PL-7, anti-PL-12, anti-EJ, anti-OJ, anti-SRP, anti-Mi-2) and myositis-associated autoantibodies (MAAs: anti-PM-Scl75, anti-PM-Scl100, anti-Ku) as well as specific autoantibodies related to SLE, SSc, and RA were investigated. The mean age of the OS patients (9 DM and 22 PM) was 44.6 ± 15.4 years, with a predominance of women (83.9 %) and white ethnicity (58.1 %). PM was the most frequent inflammatory myopathy, and the clinical presentation of DM/PM was significantly different among the OS groups. Overlap was found with SSc (48.4 %), SLE (29.0 %), and RA (22.6 %). The clinical manifestations of DM/PM were identified simultaneously with SSc and RA in the majority of cases, in contrast to identification in the SLE group (p < 0.05). All patients were positive for antinuclear antibodies, and the prevalence of MSA and MAA was 38.8 % in all OS groups, mutually exclusive, and more frequent in the SSc group. Comparing the clinical and laboratory features, there was a higher frequency of vascular (skin ulcers, Raynaud's phenomenon) and pulmonary (interstitial lung disease) involvement in the SSc group (p < 0.05). Moreover, there were no differences among the groups in relation to disease relapse and deaths. Concluding, this is the first study to show the different characteristics of a series of patients with connective tissue disease (CTD)-OS in the heterogeneous Brazilian population.
