Anti-MDA5 Antibody-positive Clinically Amyopathic Dermatomyositis Complicated by Unilateral Right-sided Interstitial Lung Disease.

We herein report a case of anti-MDA5 antibody-positive, clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis complicated by unilateral interstitial lung disease (ILD) in a 78-year-old man with a history of left lung tumor resection. He was admitted due to a persistent fever and abnormal right pulmonary opacity. A transbronchial lung cryobiopsy revealed pulmonary fibrosis, and combined immunosuppressive therapy was initiated. Findings from multiple evaluations, including dynamic breathing magnetic resonance imaging, supported decreased perfusion, ventilation, and mobility of the left lung as etiological factors of unilateral lung ILD. When patients present with laterality of such findings, clinicians should be aware that atypical imaging findings may be observed.

Clinical significance of myositis-specific autoantibody profiles in Japanese patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis.

Myositis-specific autoantibodies, such as anti-melanoma differentiation associated gene 5 (MDA5) and anti-anti-amino acyl-tRNA synthetases (ARS) antibodies, are associated with interstitial lung diseases (ILD), which determine the prognosis of polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) patients. However, there is a paucity of data on the clinical correlation between anti-Sjögren syndrome-related antigen A (anti-SSA)/Ro52 antibodies in PM/DM. We investigated the prevalence of myositis-specific autoantibodies including anti-SSA/Ro52 antibody and assessed the clinical significance of these antibodies in patients with PM/DM.We retrospectively reviewed demographic data and clinical outcomes in patients with PM/DM. The study population comprised 24 patients with PM and 60 patients with DM. The presence of anti-myositis-specific antibodies (MDA5, ARS, Jo-1, SSA/Ro52) was determined by immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Anti-MDA5 antibody was detected in 18 patients with DM (n = 60). Anti-ARS/anti-SSA/Ro52 antibodies were detected in 31 and 39 patients with PM/DM (n = 84). Rapidly progressive ILD patients were mainly found in the anti-MDA5 antibody-positive DM group. During the follow-up period, 9 patients died. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that survival rates seem to be lower in DM patients with anti-MDA5 antibodies compared with those without anti-MDA5 antibodies. Furthermore, dual positivity for anti-SSA/Ro52 and anti-MDA5 antibodies was significantly higher in nonsurviving DM patients compared with survivors.Although the presence of anti-ARS or anti-MDA5 antibodies is a prognostic marker in patients with PM/DM, combined presence of anti-SSA/Ro52 and anti-MDA5 antibodies represent another marker for clinical outcome in DM patients. Our results suggest that anti-SSA/Ro52 antibody positivity in DM patients with anti-MDA5 antibody reveals a subgroup of DM patients with poor prognosis.

Serum neopterin as well as ferritin, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, KL-6 and anti-MDA5 antibody titer provide markers of the response to therapy in patients with interstitial lung disease complicating anti-MDA5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis.

Objective: This study identified biomarkers that can be used to assess disease activity and response to therapy in patients with interstitial lung disease complicating anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody (Ab)-positive clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM). Methods: In 15 patients with interstitial lung disease complicating anti-MDA5 Ab-positive CADM, anti-MDA5 Ab, neopterin, interleukin (IL)-18, ferritin, and soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels were measured in cryopreserved serum specimens before and at multiple times after remission induction therapy, and their correlations were assessed. Results: Anti-MDA5 Ab, neopterin, IL-18, ferritin, and sIL-2R levels did not differ significantly between patients who survived and those who succumbed to the disease. In many cases, serum anti-MDA5 Ab titers were over the upper limit (over 150 index value) before treatment in the usual measuring method, and gradually decreased to the normal range at stable phase. Meanwhile, serum neopterin levels (21.6 [15.3-48.3] nmol/L) were significantly elevated in newly diagnosed patients and fell to 6.8 (5-11.4) nmol/L at 6 months after treatment introduction. Conclusions: Elevated serum neopterin as well as ferritin, sIL-2R, KL-6, and anti-MDA5 Ab titer might help identify patients with interstitial lung disease complicated with DM and might be useful in monitoring response to therapy.

Prevalence and reactivity of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA-5) autoantibody in Brazilian patients with dermatomyositis.

BACKGROUND: There have been no studies to date on the frequency and reactivity of aanti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA-5) in samples from the Brazilian population with dermatomyositis. OBJECTIVES: To analyze this autoantibody in the Brazilian population. METHODS: This was a single-center cross-sectional study in which 131 consecutive adult patients (109 dermatomyositis and 22 clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis) with active disease were evaluated from 2000 to 2016. Analysis of the anti-MDA-5 autoantibody was performed by ELISA. RESULTS: The presence of this autoantibody was observed in 14.7% and 22.7% of patients with dermatomyositis and clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis, respectively. In the case of dermatomyositis, the autoantibody was associated less frequently with Raynaud's phenomenon and periungual hyperemia (P<0.05). In clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis, the presence of this autoantibody was not associated statistically with any demographic, clinical, laboratory, or imaging characteristics. STUDY LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional study design did not allow establishing a temporal correlation between anti-MDA-5 autoantibody and various study variables. In addition, pulmonary function tests were not performed in the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of anti-MDA-5 autoantibody was comparable to that of other populations with dermatomyositis, but with a different reactivity than described in the literature. In addition, there was a phenotypic variability between our patients with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis and those described in the literature. Further studies are needed to confirm the current study's findings and elucidate this autoantibody's reactivity in Brazilians with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Prevalence and reactivity of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA-5) autoantibody in Brazilian patients with dermatomyositis

Abstract: Background: There have been no studies to date on the frequency and reactivity of aanti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA-5) in samples from the Brazilian population with dermatomyositis. Objectives: To analyze this autoantibody in the Brazilian population. Methods: This was a single-center cross-sectional study in which 131 consecutive adult patients (109 dermatomyositis and 22 clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis) with active disease were evaluated from 2000 to 2016. Analysis of the anti-MDA-5 autoantibody was performed by ELISA. Results: The presence of this autoantibody was observed in 14.7% and 22.7% of patients with dermatomyositis and clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis, respectively. In the case of dermatomyositis, the autoantibody was associated less frequently with Raynaud's phenomenon and periungual hyperemia (P<0.05). In clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis, the presence of this autoantibody was not associated statistically with any demographic, clinical, laboratory, or imaging characteristics. Study limitations: The cross-sectional study design did not allow establishing a temporal correlation between anti-MDA-5 autoantibody and various study variables. In addition, pulmonary function tests were not performed in the patients. Conclusions: The frequency of anti-MDA-5 autoantibody was comparable to that of other populations with dermatomyositis, but with a different reactivity than described in the literature. In addition, there was a phenotypic variability between our patients with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis and those described in the literature. Further studies are needed to confirm the current study's findings and elucidate this autoantibody's reactivity in Brazilians with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Tofacitinib for refractory interstitial lung diseases in anti-melanoma differentiation-associated 5 gene antibody-positive dermatomyositis.

Objective: We aimed to determine the outcome of combination therapy with tofacitinib (TOF) in a case series of refractory rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated 5 gene (MDA5) antibody-positive (Ab+) DM. Patients who had poor prognostic factors and failed to respond to immunosuppressive therapy were selected for TOF treatment. Methods: Five patients with anti-MDA5 Ab+ DM-ILD who failed to respond to triple therapy with high dose glucocorticoids, CSA and CYC were given additional TOF (10 mg/day). To identify the poor prognostic factors, data from 15 consecutive patients (seven survived and eight died) with anti-MDA5 Ab+ DM-ILD before induction of TOF were analysed. Results: Three poor prognostic factors were identified: serum ferritin level >1000 ng/ml before therapy; ground-glass opacities in all six lung fields before therapy; and worsening of pulmonary infiltrates during therapy. All six patients who had all of the three factors and received triple therapy died before TOF therapy. There were five patients who had all of the three prognostic factors and failed to respond to triple therapy, but were able to receive the combination therapy with TOF; among them, three survived and two died. The survival rate of patients who received TOF was significantly better than that of the historical controls with immunosuppressive therapy before TOF. The patients who received TOF experienced complicated adverse events, particularly viral infection. Conclusion: Combination therapy with TOF might have the potential to control refractory anti-MDA5 Ab+ DM-ILD.

Role of IL-15 in interstitial lung diseases in amyopathic dermatomyositis with anti-MDA-5 antibody.

BACKGROUND: Anti-MDA-5 antibody is closely associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD) in amyopathic dermatomyositis (ADM). Patients with ADM with anti-MDA-5 antibody sometimes develop fatal ILD in spite of intensive immunosuppressive therapy. However, an initial decrease after treatment in anti-MDA-5 antibody titers may not be predictive of subsequent better survival of the disease. METHODS: To clarify immunoregulatory features of deadly ILD in ADM with the anti-MDA-5 antibody, we retrospectively examined clinical records of consecutive patients with anti-MDA-5 antibody positive ADM-ILD with preserved serum since 2000. Serum cytokine/growth factor (GF) protein concentration was measured using a cytokine panel analysis. We compared concentrations of each cytokine/GF between survivors and non-survivors and further examined changes in cytokines/GF levels during treatment in some patients. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were enrolled in the study. Nine out of 26 patients did not respond to intensive immunosuppressive therapy and died due to respiratory failure. We compared cytokine/GF concentrations and found that serum IL-15 before treatment was significantly elevated in non-survivors than in survivors (p < 0.05). 11 out of 17 responders and 6 of 9 dead patients had preserved serum taken more than one time. We then calculated rates of change per day (slopes) in each cytokine/GF concentration. Comparison of slopes of cytokine/GF protein over the treatment duration showed that the slopes in non-survivors were significantly increased in IL-10 and IL-15 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: IL-15, as well as IL-10, may play a key role in the progression of the patients with ADM-ILD with anti-MDA-5 antibody positive.

Analysis of host Toll-like receptor 3 and RIG-I-like receptor gene expression in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a vascular disease relatively common in the elderly population. Although some events that contribute to the development and progression of AAA are known, there are limited data examining the association of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and RIG-I-like receptor expression with the pathogenesis of AAAs. In this study, we investigated the gene and protein expression of TLR3 and RIG-I-like receptors (RIG-I and MDA5) in aortic wall and blood of AAA patients and examined the relationship between their expression and immune response. METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from aortic wall tissues and blood samples collected from 20 patients with AAA and blood samples of 17 healthy volunteers without aortic aneurysm. To evaluate the DDX58 (RIG-I), IFIH1 (MDA5), and TLR3 gene expression level, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used. Extracellular cytokine and pattern recognition receptor levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: TLR3, RIG-I, and MDA5 were constitutively expressed in both aortic tissues and blood samples from AAA patients and healthy volunteers. In patients with AAA, higher TLR3 expression in aortic tissues than in blood was found (P = .004). The DDX58 messenger RNA expression was higher in blood of patients with AAA compared with healthy subjects (P = .021). A significantly higher level of plasma interleukin 4 was noticed in patients with AAA than in healthy individuals (P = .008). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that RIG-I and TLR3 seem to be important factors in the pathogenesis of AAA.

The Serum Ferritin Level Is Associated with the Treatment Responsivity for Rapidly Progressive Interstitial Lung Disease with Amyopathic Dermatomyositis, Irrespective of the Anti-MDA5 Antibody Level.

We report the case of a 61-year-old woman with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease caused by clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis. Both the serum ferritin and anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody levels were elevated at the time of admission. Despite intensive treatment with corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, immunoglobulins and polymyxin B direct hemoperfusion, the patient died 75 days after symptom onset. Over the course of treatment, the anti-MDA5 antibody level continually decreased, while the serum ferritin level increased, suggesting that sequential measurements of the serum ferritin level might be useful for evaluating the treatment responsivity, irrespective of the anti-MDA5 antibody level.

Comparison of long-term prognosis and relapse of dermatomyositis complicated with interstitial pneumonia according to autoantibodies: anti-aminoacyl tRNA synthetase antibodies versus anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody.

The aim of this study was to investigate long-term prognosis and relapse of dermatomyositis complicated with interstitial pneumonia (DMIP) according to anti-aminoacyl tRNA synthetase (ARS) antibodies and anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody. This retrospective study comprised 36 patients with DMIP who were divided into the anti-ARS antibody-positive group (ARS+) (n = 12), anti MDA5 antibody-positive group (MDA5+) (n = 11), double-negative group (ARS-/MDA5-) (n = 11), and double-positive group (ARS+/MDA5+) (n = 1). Clinical features, treatment, prognoses, and relapses during the 2 years after initiation of treatment were compared between three groups excluding ARS+/MDA5+ group. Although short-term (24-week) mortality in MDA+ was higher than that in ARS+ or ARS-/MDA5- (P = 0.004), there was no difference in long-term (2-year) mortality between the three groups. Relapse rate in ARS+ was higher than that in MDA5+ and ARS-/MDA5- during the 2 years after initiation of treatment (P = 0.044). There was no difference in serum KL-6 levels at the initiation of treatment between ARS+ and MDA5+, but serum ferritin levels in MDA5+ were significantly higher than those in ARS+ (P = 0.406, 0.042, respectively). Serum KL-6 and ferritin levels at 2 years after initiation of treatment in ARS+ were significantly higher than those in MDA5+ (P = 0.008, 0.034, respectively). We found that in MDA5+ DMIP, acute alveolar inflammation caused a poor prognosis early in the disease course, and in ARS+ DMIP, chronic injury to the alveolar epithelial cells or basement membrane caused long-term recurrence.

[Dermatomyositis associated with anti-MDA5 antibodies and pneumocystis pneumonia: Two lethal cases]. / Dermatomyosite associée aux anticorps anti-MDA5 et pneumocystose pulmonaire : deux cas d'évolution fatale.

BACKGROUND: Dermatomyositis associated with anti-MDA-5 autoantibodies is a recently-described clinical entity. Herein we report two lethal cases involving pneumocystis pneumonia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Case no 1. A 56-year-old male patient developed cutaneous symptoms consistent with dermatomyositis without muscular involvement. Antinuclear antibodies were present and anti-MDA5 auto-antibodies were identified. The scan showed interstitial lung disease without infection. Significant improvement was obtained with corticosteroids. One month later, the patient presented acute respiratory illness (hypoxemia: PaO2 60mmHg, exacerbation of lung disease evidenced by a scan, and diagnosis of pneumocystis pneumonia on bronchoalveolar lavage). He died despite appropriate antibiotic therapy and immunosuppressant therapy. Case no 2. The second case concerned a 52-year-old Vietnamese man who developed more atypical cutaneous symptoms of dermatomyositis without muscular involvement. ANAb responses were positive (1/400) and MDA5 was present. The patient was treated with corticosteroids (40mg/d), hydroxychloroquine, and intravenous immunoglobulin. After significant improvement, the patient developed an acute respiratory illness due to superinfection with pneumocystis and he died despite specific treatment and cyclophosphamide bolus. CONCLUSION: In dermatomyositis, anti-MDA5 antibody screening is essential for the prognosis since the disease carries a risk of complication with severe lung disease. Bronchial fibroscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage should be considered at the time of diagnosis. Our two cases suggest the need for early screening for pneumocystis pneumonia in the event of respiratory distress and possibly for prophylactic treatment at the start of immunosuppressant therapy.

Anti-MDA5-Positive Dermatomyositis Presenting as Fever of Unknown Origin.

Dermatomyositis is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory infiltrates in the skin and muscle. The wide variability in clinical and serologic presentation poses a diagnostic challenge for the internist. Appreciation of the clinical variants of dermatomyositis allows for expedient diagnosis and avoidance of diagnostic error. We illustrate these challenges with the case of a 51-year-old Vietnamese-American man who initially presented with fever of unknown origin in the absence of overt skin and muscle manifestations. The diagnosis of dermatomyositis was not evident on several clinical encounters due to the absence of these hallmark symptoms. We review the variable clinical manifestations of a subtype of dermatomyositis associated with an autoantibody against melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (anti-MDA5) and suggest consideration of dermatomyositis as a diagnosis in patients presenting with systemic illness and markedly elevated ferritin, even in the absence of elevated muscle enzymes and classic autoantibodies.

[The laboratory detection of intra-cellular factors of anti-viral defense under community-acquired pneumonia in evaluation of effects of low-intensity microwave radiation].

The study was carried out to investigate intro-cellular concentration of factors of antiviral defense of cells of whole blood of re-convalescents of community-acquired pneumonia and healthy individuals under effect of low intensity SHF-radiation of whole blood in vitro with frequency of 1000 MGz. The technique of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied for analyzing lysates of mononuclears of whole blood exposed to impact of low intensity SHF-radiation with frequency of1000 MGz on concentration of mitochondrial antiviral signal protein MAVS, RIG-I-like receptor type III - helicase LGP2, RIG-I-like receptor - helicaseMDA5, trans-membrane protein 173 (Tmem 173), interferon-regulated factors (IRF) 3,7 and 8, sub-units p50 and p65 of nuclear factor of transcription NF-kB, phosphorylated on serine in position form 32 of inhibitor of nuclear factor of transcription (IkB-a) and also its total concentration. Besides, spontaneous production of interferon - a/ß by cells of whole blood was evaluated in cellular supernatant. The capacity of single 20 minutes of SHF-radiation effect to increase intracellular level of important regulative proteins, primarily MDA5, during the phase of convalescence of community-acquired pneumonia was established. Besides, radiation stimulates increasing of intracellular level of MAVS and Tmem173. The capacity of radiation was established to increase phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear factor NF-kB and level of components p50 and p65 of NF-kB. The capacity of SHF-radiation effecting production of interferon-ß by cells of hole blood is demonstrated. In healthy individuals, radiation contributes into decreasing of intercellular content of MAVS in more degree as compared with levels of MDA5 and Tmem173. At that, radiation of culture of cells of whole blood stimulates increasing of production of interferons.