Agreement between local and central anti-synthetase antibodies detection: results from the Classification Criteria of Anti-Synthetase Syndrome project biobank.

OBJECTIVES: The CLASS (Classification Criteria of Anti-Synthetase Syndrome) project is a large international multicentre study that aims to create the first data-driven anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD) classification criteria. Identifying anti-aminoacyl tRNA synthetase antibodies (anti-ARS) is crucial for diagnosis, and several commercial immunoassays are now available for this purpose. However, using these assays risks yielding false-positive or false-negative results, potentially leading to misdiagnosis. The established reference standard for detecting anti-ARS is immunoprecipitation (IP), typically employed in research rather than routine autoantibody testing. We gathered samples from participating centers and results from local anti-ARS testing. As an "ad-interim" study within the CLASS project, we aimed to assess how local immunoassays perform in real-world settings compared to our central definition of anti-ARS positivity. METHODS: We collected 787 serum samples from participating centres for the CLASS project and their local anti-ARS test results. These samples underwent initial central testing using RNA-IP. Following this, the specificity of ARS was reconfirmed centrally through ELISA, line-blot assay (LIA), and, in cases of conflicting results, protein-IP. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio and positive and negative predictive values were evaluated. We also calculated the inter-rater agreement between central and local results using a weighted κ co-efficient. RESULTS: Our analysis demonstrates that local, real-world detection of anti-Jo1 is reliable with high sensitivity and specificity with a very good level of agreement with our central definition of anti-Jo1 antibody positivity. However, the agreement between local immunoassay and central determination of anti-non-Jo1 antibodies varied, especially among results obtained using local LIA, ELISA and "other" methods. CONCLUSIONS: Our study evaluates the performance of real-world identification of anti-synthetase antibodies in a large cohort of multi-national patients with ASSD and controls. Our analysis reinforces the reliability of real-world anti-Jo1 detection methods. In contrast, challenges persist for anti-non-Jo1 identification, particularly anti-PL7 and rarer antibodies such as anti-OJ/KS. Clinicians should exercise caution when interpreting anti-synthetase antibodies, especially when commercial immunoassays test positive for non-anti-Jo1 antibodies.

Clinical characteristics and symptom progression of dermatomyositis subtypes: A retrospective analysis of a prospective database.

BACKGROUND: Disease characteristics of classic dermatomyositis (DM) and clinically amyopathic DM (CADM) are well established, but there exists limited knowledge on the disease progression of these subtypes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to longitudinally track and characterize classic DM and CADM patients who experience changes in disease presentation. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of prospectively collected data on 269 DM patients from a longitudinal database. RESULTS: A total of 51% of the patients had classic DM and 49% had CADM. Forty percent of the classic DM patients became postmyopathic (PmDM). Median Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index activity (CDASI-A) score was lower in PmDM patients than in classic DM patients (13.0 vs 16.0), but 45% of the PmDM patients had CDASI-A scores > 14. Five percent of the CADM patients developed muscle involvement. Compared with CADM patients, those who developed muscle symptoms had milder skin disease before subtype conversion (median CDASI-A 12.0 vs 16.0) and at subtype conversion (median CDASI-A 9.0 vs 16.0). LIMITATIONS: This was a retrospective study conducted at a single tertiary-care dermatology clinic. CONCLUSIONS: Forty percent of the classic DM patients became PmDM. The majority continue with muscle disease, and many continue to have moderate/severe skin disease. CADM has a low risk of progressing to muscle disease, with the extent of skin disease as a potential predictive factor.

Emerging immunotherapeutic strategies for cutaneous lupus erythematosus: an overview of recent phase 2 and 3 clinical trials.

INTRODUCTION: Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is an autoimmune disease that is clinically heterogenous and may occur with or without the presence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). While existing on a spectrum, CLE and SLE present differences in their underlying pathogenesis and therapeutic responses. No new therapies have been approved in recent decades by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for CLE, although frequently refractory to conventional therapies. There is an unmet need to develop effective drugs for CLE as it significantly impacts patients' quality of life and may leave irreversible disfiguring damage. AREAS COVERED: This review provides an update on the latest phase 2 and 3 clinical trials performed in CLE or SLE using skin-specific outcome measures. Emergent therapies are presented alongside their mechanism of action as recent translational studies have permitted identification of critical targets among immune cells and/or pathways involved in CLE. EXPERT OPINION: While the recent literature has few trials for CLE, drugs targeting type I interferon, its downstream signaling and plasmacytoid dendritic cells have shown promising results. Further research is required to develop long-awaited effective therapies, and this review highlights the importance of implementing trials dedicated to CLE to fill the current gap in CLE therapeutics.

The physical and emotional impact of cutaneous dermatomyositis: a qualitative study.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by distinctive cutaneous manifestations, often accompanied by muscle inflammation and interstitial lung disease. DM has a significant impact on quality of life (QoL) in patients, due to the physical and emotional symptoms caused by their disease. Despite this known emotional impact, there is no published literature capturing how adults with DM feel about their disease, from their perspective. We seek to better understand how cutaneous DM impacts patients in their daily lives. Seventeen patients with cutaneous DM presenting to an autoimmune dermatology clinic were interviewed about how their cutaneous findings have impacted their life. Patients were asked three questions: what troubles you the most about your cutaneous/skin DM, how much bother does the skin DM cause, and what about your skin disease most impacts your daily life. Responses were scribed by a second researcher. Themes and subthemes from the interviews were generated. Of 17 patients, 17 (100%) were female, 7 (41%) had amyopathic DM, median age was 65 years (IQR 48-68), and median Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index (CDASI) activity score was 12 (IQR 6-17.5) at the time of interview. Seven themes emerged. Most reported physical signs included: itchiness (n = 10, 59%) and physical pain/uncomfortableness (n = 6, 35%). Our study demonstrates that patients are burdened by the physical, emotional and social aspects of their disease, and struggle to manage it. This better understanding of how patients feel will help guide management and allow clinicians to address patient needs. Additionally, these insights may help in the development of QoL tools that address the concerns of patients with severe and chronic skin conditions, like DM.

Current concepts and advances in dermatomyositis: a dermatological perspective.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an autoimmune disorder in which clinically amyopathic DM, characterised by hallmark cutaneous findings in the absence of clinical weakness, represents 20% of patients. This review will highlight current concepts and recent advances made in DM from a dermatological perspective, with a discussion of skin-predominant DM and its distinct challenges regarding diagnosis and management as well as their implications in clinical trials. An update will be presented with respect to classification criteria, pathogenesis in cutaneous DM, myositis-specific autoantibodies and their associations with cutaneous findings, skin-specific outcome measures and new therapeutics with their efficacy in skin disease.

Annular bullous pemphigoid: A case report and review of literature.

Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune blistering disease that primarily affects the geriatric population. It often presents as urticarial erythematous plaques, which evolve into subepidermal blisters accompanied by pruritus. Although rare, clinical variants of bullous pemphigoid have been documented. We present a rare case of annular bullous pemphigoid in a 50-year-old male and offer a brief review of the literature. Only five other case reports, including three in adults, have described this unusual presentation, which can mimic other autoimmune blistering diseases, including linear IgA bullous dermatosis and pemphigus herpetiformis. Therefore, histopathology and immunologic studies were essential in properly diagnosing this patient. Our case supports that annular blistering lesions can be a clinical variant of bullous pemphigoid.

Bullous Pemphigoid-Associated Mortality Rate in a Canadian Tertiary Referral Centre.

BACKGROUND: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune blistering disorder in adults. Most individuals with BP are over the age of 60. Its worldwide incidence has been increasing owing to population aging. Observational studies published over the last 2 decades highlight the non-negligible, albeit variable overall mortality of BP patients, with reported 12-month mortality rates of 10.8% to 40.8%, and 24-month mortality rates of 20.1% to 51.0%. Data in the Canadian population are lacking. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to estimate the 12- and 24-month overall mortality rate of Canadian patients diagnosed with BP, and to identify independent risk factors adversely impacting overall survival. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 166 patients with a diagnosis of BP between 2010 and 2020 was carried out at Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), a tertiary referral center in Montréal, Québec, Canada. Cumulative mortality was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, and independent prognostic factors were identified using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: Eighty-five patients (51.2%) in our study were female. The median age was 79.1 years old, and 80 patients (48.2%) were 80 years old or older. Mortality at 12 and 24 months in our study cohort was 16.2% (CI95% = 10.5 - 21.8) and 27.6% (CI95% = 20.5 - 34.7), respectively. In a multivariate analysis, patients who were male, 80 years old or older, and/or had a diagnosis of a major neurocognitive disorder had a poorer overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: The all-cause mortality of patients with BP in our study population compared favorably with international data reported in the literature.

Verrucous plane xanthomas secondary to lipoprotein X dyslipidemia in the context of cholestatic fulminant hepatitis: A case report.

Cutaneous xanthomas are the result of dermal deposition of lipid, mostly caused by disorders of lipid metabolism. Less commonly, they occur in the setting of cholestatic liver disease, leading to accumulation of lipoprotein X, a rare form of dyslipidemia that does not respond well to conventional treatments. We describe an atypical presentation of sudden diffuse xanthomas secondary to lipoprotein X dyslipidemia in the context of cholestatic fulminant hepatitis caused by trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole hypersensitivity. Histopathology was also atypical and showed an unusual verrucous appearance consisting of overlying epidermal hyperplasia with hyperkeratosis. Our patient had significant improvement, after normalization of her lipid panel under cholestyramine and 13 sessions of apheresis, with topical corticosteroids offering some relief. This rare case shows the importance of recognizing atypical presentations of xanthomas, particularly when they do not respond to conventional dyslipidemia treatments.

Linear cutaneous lupus erythematosus in children-report of two cases and review of the literature: A case report.

Linear cutaneous lupus erythematosus is an unusual presentation of cutaneous lupus following Blaschko's lines. It is described mostly in children and young adults and is usually not associated with systemic involvement. We report two cases of linear cutaneous lupus erythematosus in children who significantly improved after treatment with hydroxychloroquine in combination with topical corticosteroids and tacrolimus. These rare cases underline the importance of including linear cutaneous lupus erythematosus in the differential diagnosis of blaschkoid inflammatory lesions.

A case of dermatomyositis with anti-TIF1γ antibodies revealing isolated para-aortic lymphadenopathy metastatic recurrence of endometrial cancer: A case report.

Dermatomyositis is an inflammatory myopathy presenting with characteristic cutaneous eruption and may be accompanied by proximal muscle weakness. Dermatomyositis may represent a paraneoplastic syndrome in 15%-25% of cases and has rarely been associated with endometrial cancer. Herein, we report a case of dermatomyositis with anti-TIF1γ antibodies as the first clinical manifestation revealing isolated para-aortic lymphadenopathy metastatic recurrence of endometrial cancer after 4 years of remission. Interestingly, dermatomyositis rash completely resolved after lymphadenectomy. This case highlights the importance of early dermatomyositis diagnosis, thorough cancer screening, and that cancer treatment may, in some patients, foster dermatomyositis remission.

Refractory extensive vulvar high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion in an immunosuppressed transplant patient treated with topical cidofovir: A case report.

High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion of the vulva is a premalignant condition which may be especially resistant to treatments among immunosuppressed patients. We present our experience with the use of topical cidofovir in a refractory case of extensive vulvar high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion in a 37-year-old transplant patient. Eighteen cycles of cidofovir over a 2-year period led to a sustained significant improvement, mainly of the mucosal lesions and was well tolerated. To our knowledge, we have not seen this therapy described in transplant patients with extensive high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion.

Improvement in Hailey-Hailey disease with a combination of low-dose naltrexone and oral magnesium chloride: A case report.

Hailey-Hailey disease is a rare autosomal dominant acantholytic disorder due to mutation in the ATP2C1 gene and presents with flaccid blisters in intertriginous regions. Its chronic and relapsing course may negatively impact patients' quality of life. Multiple medical and interventional treatments have been described with various efficacy. Low-dose naltrexone and oral magnesium chloride represent emerging treatments. Sustained improvement in Hailey-Hailey disease has been reported with the former in case series, while others have shown variable results. Oral magnesium chloride has been reported in four patients with possible results after 2-4 weeks. Two recent cases suggest that the combination of both treatments may have a synergistic effect. Herein, we present a 63-year-old woman with long-standing and recurrent bilateral inguinal Hailey-Hailey disease who significantly improved with low-dose naltrexone and oral magnesium chloride, representing the third case described with this combination.

Statin-associated anti-HMGCR immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy with dermatomyositis-like features: A case report.

Anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy is a subtype of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy which may be associated with statin exposure. It presents with severe proximal muscle weakness, high creatine kinase levels and muscle fiber necrosis. Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins and immunosuppressants is often necessary. This entity is not commonly known among dermatologists as there are usually no extramuscular manifestations. We report a rare case of statin-associated anti-HMGCR immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy with dermatomyositis-like cutaneous features. The possibility of anti-HMGCR immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy should be considered in patients with cutaneous dermatomyositis-like features associated with severe proximal muscle weakness, highly elevated creatine kinase levels and possible statin exposure. This indicates the importance of muscle biopsy and specific autoantibody testing for accurate diagnosis, as well as significant therapeutic implications.

Flagellate Dermatitis in a Child Most Likely Secondary to Doxorubicin.

Flagellate dermatitis, a cutaneous eruption in which the patient appears to have been whipped, has been described with antineoplastic agents and shiitake mushroom ingestion. A 15-year-old girl with metastatic Ewing sarcoma developed pruritic erythematous linear lesions on her trunk that became hyperpigmented over time during her first cycle of chemotherapy with doxorubicin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and ganitumab. Flagellate dermatitis was diagnosed based on clinical and histologic findings. Flagellate dermatitis (FD) is a rare cutaneous eruption named for its appearance, in which the patient appears to have been whipped. It has been associated with chemotherapeutic agents such as bleomycin . We report FD in a child that occurred during chemotherapy treatment that included doxorubicin.