Pulmonary capillaritis and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. A primary manifestation of polymyositis.

Polymyositis is often complicated by either usual interstitial pneumonitis, diffuse alveolar damage, cellular interstitial pneumonitis, or bronchiolitis obliterans-organizing pneumonia. Pulmonary capillaritis, a distinct interstitial reaction associated with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, occurs with the systemic vasculitides and some collagen vascular diseases. It has not been described in patients with polymyositis. We describe two patients who developed a relatively acute onset of polymyositis based on the appearance of a severe proximal myopathy, elevated serum creatine phosphokinase levels, compatible electromyographic abnormalities, inflammatory muscle biopsies, and in one case, the presence of serum anti-Jo-1 antibodies. Concomitant with their muscle disease, they developed respiratory failure that proved to be pulmonary capillaritis with varying degrees of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage as well as bronchiolitis obliterans-organizing pneumonia. Although those reactions are reported to occur with other collagen vascular diseases, these two cases are the first reports of pulmonary capillaritis and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage complicating polymyositis.

Mixed cryoglobulinemia associated with chronic Q-fever.

A 41-year-old woman who presented with purpura, glomerulonephritis and mixed cryoglobulinemia was found subsequently to have developed chronic Q-fever. Since Q-fever is a frequent cause of culture negative endocarditis in some endemic areas, the diagnosis of Q-fever endocarditis should be considered in patients presenting with mixed cryoglobulinemia of unknown cause.

Antideoxyribonucleic acid antibodies in Graves' disease.

Antidouble stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies have been detected by a sensitive RIA in the sera of 28-100% of patients with Graves' disease, but it remains unclear whether these assays have detected authentic dsDNA antibodies. We have obtained sera from 42 patients with active Graves' disease and no known connective tissue disorders. All sera were tested for dsDNA antibodies by 2 quantitative RIAs (Farr assay and Millipore filter assay; normal, less than 20% for both assays) and by an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay for antibodies to dsDNA and to single stranded DNA (ssDNA). All sera were negative for dsDNA antibodies by the Farr assay and by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay, 2 of 42 had mildly elevated levels (33% and 23%) by the Millipore filter assay, and 7 of 42 were positive for ssDNA antibodies. The 2 positive sera for dsDNA antibodies were also tested using the Crithidia luciliae indirect immunofluorescence assay, and both were negative. Patients with Graves' disease have been reported to have an increased prevalence of antinuclear antibodies, but the more recent findings of dsDNA antibodies in these patients is of interest because dsDNA antibodies are considered to be specific for systemic lupus erythematosus. Our data suggest that true immunoglobulin G dsDNA antibodies are not elevated during active Graves' disease, and positive assay results may be due to measurement of ssDNA antibodies, immunoglobulin M dsDNA antibodies, or nonantibody DNA binding.