High-resolution HLA genotyping in inclusion body myositis refines 8.1 ancestral haplotype association to DRB1*03:01:01 and highlights pathogenic role of arginine-74 of DRß1 chain.

OBJECTIVES: Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a progressive inflammatory-degenerative muscle disease of older individuals, with some patients producing anti-cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase 1A (NT5C1A, aka cN1A) antibodies. Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) is the highest genetic risk factor for developing IBM. In this study, we aimed to further define the contribution of HLA alleles to IBM and the production of anti-cN1A antibodies. METHODS: We HLA haplotyped a Western Australian cohort of 113 Caucasian IBM patients and 112 ethnically matched controls using Illumina next-generation sequencing. Allele frequency analysis and amino acid alignments were performed using the Genentech/MiDAS bioinformatics package. Allele frequencies were compared using Fisher's exact test. Age at onset analysis was performed using the ggstatsplot package. All analysis was carried out in RStudio version 1.4.1717. RESULTS: Our findings validated the independent association of HLA-DRB1*03:01:01 with IBM and attributed the risk to an arginine residue in position 74 within the DRß1 protein. Conversely, DRB4*01:01:01 and DQA1*01:02:01 were found to have protective effects; the carriers of DRB1*03:01:01 that did not possess these alleles had a fourteenfold increased risk of developing IBM over the general Caucasian population. Furthermore, patients with the abovementioned genotype developed symptoms on average five years earlier than patients without. We did not find any HLA associations with anti-cN1A antibody production. CONCLUSIONS: High-resolution HLA sequencing more precisely characterised the alleles associated with IBM and defined a haplotype linked to earlier disease onset. Identification of the critical amino acid residue by advanced biostatistical analysis of immunogenetics data offers mechanistic insights and future directions into uncovering IBM aetiopathogenesis.

Inclusion-body myositis associated with Sjögren's disease: clinical characteristics and comparison with other Sjögren-associated myositis.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics of patients with Sjögren's disease (SjD) and inclusion-body myositis (IBM), and how they compare to SjD patients with other inflammatory myopathies (IM). METHODS: Patients were retrospectively recruited from 13 French centers and included if they met the ACR/EULAR criteria for SjD and for IM. They were categorized as SjD-IBM if sub-criteria for IBM were met, or as SjD-other IM if not. RESULTS: SjD-IBM patients (n = 22) were mostly females (86%), with a median [Q1; Q3] age of 54 [38.5; 64] years at SjD diagnosis, and 62 [46.5; 70] years at first IBM symptoms. Although most patients displayed glandular and immunological abnormalities, additional extra-glandular manifestations were uncommon, resulting in moderate disease activity at SjD diagnosis (ESSDAI 5.5 [1; 7.8]). Classic IBM features were frequent, such as progressive symptom onset (59%), asymmetrical (27%) and distal (32%) involvements, dysphagia (41%), low CPK (386.5 [221.8; 670.5] UI/l) and CRP (3.0 [3; 8.5] mg/l) levels. Immunosuppressants were reported as efficient in 55% of cases.Compared with SjD-IBM patients, SjD patients with other IM (n = 50) were significantly younger, displayed more frequent additional extra-glandular disease, higher ESSDAI score (11 [3; 30]), shorter delay between SjD diagnosis and myositis onset (0 [-0.5; 26]), more frequent CPK values over 1000 UI/l (36%), and less frequent classic IBM features. CONCLUSION: IBM can occur in SjD patients, with muscle features reminiscent of classic sporadic IBM characteristics, but mostly affecting women. In SjD patients with muscle involvement, extra-glandular manifestations, high ESSDAI score, elevated CPK values, and shorter delay after SjD diagnosis plead against IBM.

Sarcopenia assessed by DXA and hand-grip dynamometer: a potential marker of damage, disability and myokines imbalance in inflammatory myopathies.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the ability of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and hand-grip dynamometer to measure damage in inflammatory myopathies (IM). METHODS: Forty adult IM patients with a disease duration ≥12 months, low or no disease activity for ≥6 months, were prospectively enrolled. Thirty healthy age and sex-matched volunteers were enrolled as controls. Whole-body DXA and hand-grip dynamometer were used to measure muscle mass, grip strength and diagnose sarcopenia (EWGSOP2 criteria). Relationships between the results of strength in 12 muscles, functional tests, patient-reported disability, IMACS damage score, and history of the disease were assessed. The serum levels of potential molecular actors in the damage were measured. RESULTS: DXA and grip strength measurements took ≤20 min. Both muscle mass and grip strength were decreased in IM patients vs volunteers (-10% and -30%, respectively) with a dispersion that varied widely (interquartile range -24.3% to +7.8% and -51.3% to -18.9%, respectively). Muscle mass and grip strength were non-redundantly correlated (r up to 0.6, P = 0.0001) with strength in 14 muscles (manual muscle test and hand-held dynamometer), functions (of limbs, respiratory and deglutition muscles), patient-reported disability, damage (extension and severity in muscular and extra-muscular domains) and blood levels of several myokines. Seven IM patients (17.5%) were sarcopenic. They had the worst damage, impaired functions, disability and history of severe myopathy. Decreased irisin and osteonectin levels were associated with sarcopenia (area under the curve 0.71 and 0.80, respectively). CONCLUSION: DXA and hand-grip dynamometer are useful tools to assess damage in IM. Irisin and osteonectin may play a role in IM damage pathogenesis.

Volumetric muscle composition analysis in sporadic inclusion body myositis using fat-referenced magnetic resonance imaging: Disease pattern, repeatability, and natural progression.

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: Fat-referenced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a promising volumetric technique for measuring muscular volume and fat in neuromuscular disorders, but the experience in inflammatory myopathies remains limited. Therefore, this work aimed at describing how sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) manifests on standardized volumetric fat-referenced MRI muscle measurements, including within-scanner repeatability, natural progression rate, and relationship to clinical parameters. METHODS: Ten sIBM patients underwent whole-leg Dixon MRI at baseline (test-retest) and after 12 months. The lean muscle volume (LMV), muscle fat fraction (MFF), and muscle fat infiltration (MFI) of the quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors, medial gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior were computed. Clinical assessments of IBM Functional Rating Scale (IBMFRS) and knee extension strength were also performed. The baseline test-retest MRI measurements were used to estimate the within-subject standard deviation (sw). 12-month changes were derived for all parameters. RESULTS: The MRI measurements showed high repeatability in all muscles; sw ranged from 2.7 to 18.0 mL for LMV, 0.7-1.3 percentage points (pp) for MFF, and 0.2-0.7 pp for MFI. Over 12 months, average LMV decreased by 7.4% while MFF and MFI increased by 3.8 pp and 1.8 pp, respectively. Mean IBMFRS decreased by 2.4 and mean knee extension strength decreased by 32.8 N. DISCUSSION: The MRI measurements showed high repeatability and 12-month changes consistent with muscle atrophy and fat replacement as well as a decrease in both muscle strength and IBMFRS. Our findings suggest that fat-referenced MRI measurements are suitable for assessing disease progression and treatment response in inflammatory myopathies.

Recent Updates on the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Myopathies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review aims to provide a comprehensive and updated overview of autoimmune myopathies, with a special focus on the latest advancements in understanding the role of autoantibodies. We will begin by examining the risk factors and triggers associated with myositis. Next, we will delve into recent research on how autoantibodies contribute to disease pathogenesis. Finally, we will explore the latest innovations in treatment strategies and their implications for our understanding of myositis pathogenesis. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent research has revealed that myositis-specific autoantibodies can infiltrate muscle cells and disrupt the function of their target autoantigens, playing a crucial role in disease pathogenesis. Significant advances in treatment include CD19 CAR-T cell therapy, JAK-STAT inhibitors, and novel strategies targeting the type 1 interferon pathway in dermatomyositis. Additionally, the ineffectiveness of complement inhibitors in treating immune-mediated necrotizing myositis has challenged established views on disease mechanisms. Autoimmune myopathies are a collection of disorders significantly influenced by specific autoantibodies that drive disease pathogenesis. This review highlights the critical role of autoantibody research in deepening our understanding of these conditions and discusses recent therapeutic advancements targeting key pathogenic pathways.

Association between ZASP/LDB3 Pro26Ser and Inclusion Body Myopathy.

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a slowly progressive disorder belonging to the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, and it represents the most common adult-onset acquired myopathy. The main clinical features include proximal or distal muscular asymmetric weakness, with major involvement of long finger flexors and knee extensors. The main histological findings are the presence of fiber infiltrations, rimmed vacuoles, and amyloid inclusions. The etiopathogenesis is a challenge because both environmental and genetic factors are implicated in muscle degeneration and a distinction has been made previously between sporadic and hereditary forms. Here, we describe an Italian patient affected with a hereditary form of IBM with onset in his mid-forties. Next-generation sequencing analysis disclosed a heterozygous mutation c.76C>T (p.Pro26Ser) in the PDZ motif of the LDB3/ZASP gene, a mutation already described in a family with a late-onset myopathy and highly heterogenous degree of skeletal muscle weakness. In the proband's muscle biopsy, the expression of ZASP, myotilin, and desmin were increased. In our family, in addition to the earlier age of onset, the clinical picture is even more peculiar given the evidence, in one of the affected family members, of complete ophthalmoplegia in the vertical gaze. These findings help extend our knowledge of the clinical and genetic background associated with inclusion body myopathic disorders.

Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis at the Crossroads between Muscle Degeneration, Inflammation, and Aging.

Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is the most common muscle disease of older people and is clinically characterized by slowly progressive asymmetrical muscle weakness, predominantly affecting the quadriceps, deep finger flexors, and foot extensors. At present, there are no enduring treatments for this relentless disease that eventually leads to severe disability and wheelchair dependency. Although sIBM is considered a rare muscle disorder, its prevalence is certainly higher as the disease is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. The histopathological phenotype of sIBM muscle biopsy includes muscle fiber degeneration and endomysial lymphocytic infiltrates that mainly consist of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells surrounding nonnecrotic muscle fibers expressing MHCI. Muscle fiber degeneration is characterized by vacuolization and the accumulation of congophilic misfolded multi-protein aggregates, mainly in their non-vacuolated cytoplasm. Many players have been identified in sIBM pathogenesis, including environmental factors, autoimmunity, abnormalities of protein transcription and processing, the accumulation of several toxic proteins, the impairment of autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system, oxidative and nitrative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, myonuclear degeneration, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Aging has also been proposed as a contributor to the disease. However, the interplay between these processes and the primary event that leads to the coexistence of autoimmune and degenerative changes is still under debate. Here, we outline our current understanding of disease pathogenesis, focusing on degenerative mechanisms, and discuss the possible involvement of aging.

Symptomatic myopathies in sarcoidosis: disease spectrum and myxovirus resistance protein A expression.

OBJECTIVES: Symptomatic myopathy in sarcoidosis patients is not always due to sarcoid myopathy (ScM). We investigated the clinical and pathological spectrum including myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA) expression among sarcoidosis patients. METHODS: We reviewed the Mayo Clinic database (May 1980-December 2020) to identify sarcoidosis patients with myopathic symptoms and pathological evidence of myopathy. RESULTS: Among 5885 sarcoidosis patients, 21 had symptomatic myopathy. Eight carried a diagnosis of sarcoidosis 5.5 years (median) prior to myopathy onset. Eleven patients had ScM. The remaining had non-sarcoid myopathies (five IBM, one immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, one non-specific myositis, two non-specific myopathy and one steroid myopathy). Estimated frequency of IBM is 85 per 100 000 sarcoidosis patients. The following features were associated with non-sarcoid myopathies (P < 0.05): (i) predominant finger flexor and quadriceps weakness, (ii) modified Rankin scale (mRS) >2 at time of diagnosis, (iii) creatine kinase >500 U/l, and (iv) absence of intramuscular granulomas. Sarcoplasmic MxA expression was observed in scattered myofibres in three patients, two of whom were tested for DM-specific autoantibodies and were negative. Immunosuppressive therapy led to improvement in mRS ≥1 in 5/10 ScM, none of the five IBM, and 3/3 remaining patients with non-sarcoid myopathies. DISCUSSION: Symptomatic myopathy occurred in 0.36% of sarcoidosis. IBM was the second most common cause of myopathies after ScM. Frequency of IBM in sarcoidosis is higher than in the general population. Recognition of features suggestive of alternative aetiologies can guide proper treatment. Our findings of abnormal MxA expression warrant a larger study.

Senescent fibro-adipogenic progenitors are potential drivers of pathology in inclusion body myositis.

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is unique across the spectrum of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) due to its distinct clinical presentation and refractoriness to current treatment approaches. One explanation for this resistance may be the engagement of cell-autonomous mechanisms that sustain or promote disease progression of IBM independent of inflammatory activity. In this study, we focused on senescence of tissue-resident cells as potential driver of disease. For this purpose, we compared IBM patients to non-diseased controls and immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy patients. Histopathological analysis suggested that cellular senescence is a prominent feature of IBM, primarily affecting non-myogenic cells. In-depth analysis by single nuclei RNA sequencing allowed for the deconvolution and study of muscle-resident cell populations. Among these, we identified a specific cluster of fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) that demonstrated key hallmarks of senescence, including a pro-inflammatory secretome, expression of p21, increased ß-galactosidase activity, and engagement of senescence pathways. FAP function is required for muscle cell health with changes to their phenotype potentially proving detrimental. In this respect, the transcriptomic landscape of IBM was also characterized by changes to the myogenic compartment demonstrating a pronounced loss of type 2A myofibers and a rarefication of acetylcholine receptor expressing myofibers. IBM muscle cells also engaged a specific pro-inflammatory phenotype defined by intracellular complement activity and the expression of immunogenic surface molecules. Skeletal muscle cell dysfunction may be linked to FAP senescence by a change in the collagen composition of the latter. Senescent FAPs lose collagen type XV expression, which is required to support myofibers' structural integrity and neuromuscular junction formation in vitro. Taken together, this study demonstrates an altered phenotypical landscape of muscle-resident cells and that FAPs, and not myofibers, are the primary senescent cell type in IBM.

Granulomatous myopathy: Sarcoidosis and beyond.

Non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation is a rare but easily recognized histopathological finding in skeletal muscle biopsy. A limited number of diseases are known to be associated with non-necrotizing granulomatous myopathy. Once identified, a careful evaluation for evidence of extramuscular granulomatosis and other signs suggestive of sarcoidosis is warranted as about half of the patients have sarcoid myopathy. In addition, the presence of granulomatous myopathy should trigger a search for clinical and pathological clues of inclusion body myositis (IBM), which accounts for most of the remaining patients and can coexist with sarcoidosis. Recognizing the features of IBM in patients with granulomatous myopathy can potentially spare the patients from unnecessary exposure to immunosuppressive therapies. In patients whose granulomatous myopathy remain unexplained, further investigations should aim at identifying myasthenia gravis and other autoimmune disorders, especially those known to cause granulomatous inflammation in other organs. Laboratory investigations should include acetylcholine receptor, antimitochondrial, antineutrophil cytoplasmic, thyroglobulin, and thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies. In the appropriate clinical context, exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors and chronic graft-vs-host disease can be causes of granulomatous myopathy. In cases of unexplained granulomatous myopathy, natural killer/T-cell lymphoma should be considered and careful histopathological examination for atypical cells and appropriate immunostaining is crucial. Identifying the etiology of granulomatous myopathy in each patient can guide appropriate treatment.

Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies: a Practical Guide for Clinical Use.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a complex family of autoimmune systemic disorders which often affect muscle and/or skin. IIM cause significant morbidity and mortality, but optimal treatment is uncertain. This review provides a practical guide for using intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) in the management of IIM, including dermatomyositis (DM), polymyositis (PM), immune-mediated necrotizing myositis (IMNM), and spontaneous inclusion body myositis (IBM), based on relevant recent literature and experience. We summarize pertinent considerations when using IVIG in special circumstances, including myositis-related dysphagia, interstitial lung disease (ILD), calcinosis cutis, and pregnant patients. This review also discusses IVIG safety, available formulations, and costs. RECENT FINDINGS: While IVIG has been used de facto for severe IIM for over 30 years, prior clinical trials of IVIG were notably limited. Recently, however, IVIG has proven safe and effective against IIM in several high-impact publications, including a large prospective, randomized placebo-controlled phase III study in DM. IVIG is useful against both muscular and extra-muscular manifestations in many types of IIM. It can be used as a first-line, steroid-sparring agent or as add-on to other treatments, tailored to specific clinical IIM scenarios. It is generally well-tolerated and has good safety profile, but accessibility and cost still limit its use.

Inclusion body myositis-health-related quality of life and care situation during phases of the "patience journey" in Germany: results from a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: To understand the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in inclusion body myositis (IBM) from a holistic perspective on the background of a complex care situation. The focus was on how the patient journey may be structured over the course of this rare disease. METHODS: An exploratory qualitative study was performed via in-depth semi-structured interviews. Seven patients (males n = 5) with 2011 European Neuromuscular Centre (ENMC) IBM criteria from the German IBM patient registry were interviewed for this study. The dynamic network approach of resilience and the throughput-model of health services research were used to structure the qualitative analysis. RESULTS: Our results suggest that IBM patients experience the holistic HRQoL and care situation typically in four phases: (1) uncertainty about physical vulnerability until diagnosis, (2) promising treatment approaches, (3) self-management and dyadic coping, (4) weak body, busy mind and caregiver burden. The homophonous in-vivo code "patience journey" describes the frequently reported emotional perspective of the patient journey. Although the overarching theme of perceived social support varied throughout these phases, a reliable patient-partner-dyad may lead to improved HRQoL in the long-term. CONCLUSIONS: New hypotheses for future quantitative research were generated to better understand the IBM patients' burden in the long term. The identified relevance of social support emphasizes the patients' need to handle IBM as manageable in medical settings. During exhausting phases of IBM progression, more effective care elements for patients and their partners could disclose varying needs. Strengthening multi-professional healthcare services via individualised informational, practical, or emotional support could improve HRQoL, especially since there is no curative treatment available so far.

Macroglossia in rapidly progressive inclusion body myositis.

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a refractory muscle disease characterized by inflammatory and degenerative features in myofibers. Macroglossia is common in systemic amyloid light chain amyloidosis; however, no reports have been published on patients with IBM. We encountered a female patient with clinicopathologically defined IBM who exhibited relatively rapid progression of dysphagia, gait disturbance, and macroglossia. Muscle biopsy demonstrated endomysial mononuclear inflammatory infiltrates, fiber necrosis and regeneration with rimmed vacuoles, and sarcoplasmic inclusions of p62. Tongue biopsy demonstrated fiber degeneration with fatty replacement and fibrosis, nonnecrotic fibers surrounded and invaded by mononuclear cells, and sarcoplasmic dotlike inclusions of p62. Based on the parotid gland, lip, and muscle biopsy, she was diagnosed as having IBM with Sjögren's syndrome. She was treated with steroid pulse and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy followed by oral administration of prednisolone, which resulted in temporary clinical improvement. Macroglossia might be an indicator of immunotherapy effectiveness.

Inclusion body myositis triggerred with long-term imatinib use.

INTRODUCTION: Imatinib is an orally administered tyrosine kinase inhibitor with wide clinical use in different indications from solid tumors to hematologic malignancies. Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is an acquired myopathy of both inflammatory and degenerative nature. CASE REPORT: We present an 81 years old male with a history of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) operated 8 years ago and was evaluated for the progressive loss of weight and muscle strength leading to total immobilization in 6 months. He was under imatinib for 8 years despite the remission of GIST. Physical examination disclosed diffuse loss of muscle strength, most prominently involvement of distal upper and proximal lower extremity in an asymmetrical pattern with normal serum creatinine kinase level (CK). Further investigations including bilateral thigh MRI, electromyography (EMG), and PET/CT suggested myositis and degenerative myopathy and ruled out any malignancy. Quadriceps femoris biopsy proved the diagnosis of IBM and no trigger except for imatinib was displayed. MANAGEMENT AND OUTCOME: Clinical improvement in terms of weight loss and muscle weakness was achieved after the discontinuation of imatinib. DISCUSSION: This is the first case of IBM associated with prolonged use of imatinib not reported in the literature so far. Since imatinib is widely used in different conditions, it is important to be aware of even its rare adverse effects. Poor response of IBM to conventional immunosuppressive agents enhances the value of etiology identification to relieve symptoms in addition to supportive care.

Inclusion body myositis. Genetics, biomarkers and muscle biopsy.

Sporadic inclusion body myositis is the most common idiopathic inflammatory myopathy over the age of 50, with a male-to-female ratio of 3:1. Symptoms onset before age of 60 occurs in 18-20% of patients, with a delay in diagnosis of 5 to 8 years.The classic clinical presentation of SIBM consists of proximal leg and distal arm weakness, and most commonly patients present early slowly progressive quadriceps weakness which leads to falls and to difficulties in climbing stairs, while less common the initial complaints refer to finger flexor weakness and atrophy, foot drop, or dysphagia, and rare presentations include prominent forearm weakness, sparing the quadriceps. The aetiopathogenesis of the disease remains unclear and despite some preliminary promising results, to the day there is no effective treatment.The diagnosis of SIBM is based on the clinical presentation and the histopathological findings in muscle biopsy, however increasing evidence on genetics and paraclinical biomarkers has recently come to light giving new insights on the pathogenesis, the diagnosis and the potential treatment of the disease. In the present study we aim to review the histopathological findings, genetics and blood biomarkers, and to review the role of muscle biopsy in the diagnosis of SIBM.

Inflammasome in Skeletal Muscle: NLRP3 Is an Inflammatory Cell Stress Component in Inclusion Body Myositis.

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a chronic, mostly treatment-resistant, inflammatory myopathy with a pathology that centers around specific interactions between inflammation and protein accumulation. The study aimed to identify the inflammasome as a key event in the complex network of pathomechanisms. Regulation of the inflammasome was assessed in a well-established pro-inflammatory cell culture model using human myoblasts and primary human myotubes. By quantitative PCR, western blot and immunocytochemistry, inflammasome markers including NLRP3 were assessed in muscle cells exposed to the cytokines IL-1ß and IFN-γ. The data were corroborated by analysis of muscle biopsies from patients with IBM compared to other myositis subtypes. In the cell culture model of IBM, the NLRP3 inflammasome was significantly overexpressed, as evidenced by western blot (p = 0.03) and quantitative PCR (p < 0.01). Target genes that play a role in inflammasome assembly, T-cell migration, and MHC-I expression (p = 0.009) were highly co-upregulated. NLRP3 was significantly overexpressed in muscle biopsies from IBM samples compared to disease controls (p = 0.049), including other inflammatory myopathies. Due to the extraordinary features of the pathogenesis and the pronounced upregulation of NLRP3 in IBM, the inflammasome could serve as a key molecule that drives the inflammatory cascade as well as protein accumulation in the muscle. These data can be useful for future therapeutic developments.

Serum-Circulating microRNAs in Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis.

BACKGROUND: Sporadic inclusion body myositis (s-IBM) represents a unique disease within idiopathic inflammatory myopathies with a dual myodegenerative-autoimmune physiopathology and a lack of an efficacious treatment. Circulating miRNA expression could expand our knowledge of s-IBM patho-mechanisms and provide new potential disease biomarkers. To evaluate the expression of selected pre-amplified miRNAs in the serum of s-IBM patients compared to those of a sex- and age-matched healthy control group, we enrolled 14 consecutive s-IBM patients and 8 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. By using two different normalization approaches, we found one downregulated and three upregulated miRNAs. hsa-miR-192-5p was significantly downregulated, while hsa-miR-372-3p was found to be upregulated more in the s-IBM patients compared to the level of the controls. The other two miRNAs had a very low expression levels (raw Ct data > 29). hsa-miR-192-5p and hsa-miR-372-3p were found to be significantly dysregulated in the serum of s-IBM patients. These miRNAs are involved in differentiation and regeneration processes, thus possibly reflecting pathological mechanisms in s-IBM muscles and potentially representing disease biomarkers.

Clinical features and diagnostic tools in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are rare autoimmune disorders affecting primarily muscles, but other organs can be involved. This review describes the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment for IIMs, namely polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM), immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM), and myositis associated with antisynthetase syndrome (ASS). The diagnostic approach has been updated recently based on the discovery of circulating autoantibodies, which has enhanced the management of patients. Currently, validated classification criteria for IIMs allow clinical studies with well-defined sets of patients but diagnostic criteria to guide the care of individual patients in routine clinical practice are still missing. This review analyzes the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of IIMs, discusses the efficiency of modern and standard methods employed in their workup, and delineates optimal practice for clinical care. Α multidisciplinary diagnostic approach that combines clinical, neurologic and rheumatologic examination, evaluation of electrophysiologic and morphologic muscle characteristics, and assessment of autoantibody immunoassays has been determined to be the preferred approach for effective management of patients with suspected IIMs.

Inclusion body myositis: correlation of clinical outcomes with histopathology, electromyography and laboratory findings.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether histopathological, electromyographic and laboratory markers correlate with clinical measures in inclusion body myositis (IBM). METHODS: We reviewed our electronic medical records to identify patients with IBM according to European Neuromuscular Center (ENMC) 2011 criteria, seen between 2015 and 2020. We only included patients who had a muscle biopsy and needle electromyography (EMG) performed on the same muscle (opposite or same side). We used a detailed grading system [0 (normal) to 4 (severe)] to score histopathological and EMG findings. Clinical severity was assessed by the modified Rankin scale (mRS), muscle strength sum score (SSS), quadriceps strength and severity of dysphagia on swallow evaluation. Serum markers of interest were creatine kinase level and cN-1A antibodies. RESULTS: We included 50 IBM patients, with a median age of 69 years; 64% were males. Median disease duration at diagnosis was 51 months. On muscle biopsy, endomysial inflammation mainly correlated with dysphagia, and inversely correlated with mRS. Vacuoles and congophilic inclusions did not correlate with any of the clinical measures. On EMG, the shortness of motor un it potential (MUP) duration correlated with all clinical measures. Myotonic discharges, and not fibrillation potentials, correlated with the severity of inflammation. Serum markers did not have a statistically significant correlation with any of the clinical measures. CONCLUSIONS: Dysphagia was the main clinical feature of IBM correlating with endomysial inflammation. Otherwise, inclusion body myositis clinical measures had limited correlation with histopathological features in this study. The shortness of MUP duration correlated with all clinical measures.

Abnormal paraoxonase-1 (PON1) enzyme activity in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) have severe vascular involvement, which contributes to disease morbidity and mortality. Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) associated protein that protects the vascular endothelium from oxidative injury and damage. The current work assessed the functional and genetic determinants of PON1 activity in IIM patients. METHODS: A total of 184 IIM patients and 112 healthy controls (HC) were included. PON1 enzyme activity was assessed by paraoxonase, arylesterase and lactonase assays, and the Q192R PON1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was analysed. Multivariate regression models examined associations of PON1 activity with IIM diagnosis and myositis disease outcomes. RESULTS: The arylesterase and lactonase activities of PON1 were significantly lower in IIM patients compared with HC. Higher myositis disease activity, the presence of severe IIM-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD), and the presence of MDA5 or anti-synthetase antibodies were significantly associated with lower PON1 activity. The PON1 Q192R polymorphism was strongly linked to the paraoxonase activity of PON1 in IIM, and patients with the PON1 QQ genotype had better IIM disease outcomes compared with patients with the QR or RR genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: The arylesterase and lactonase activities of PON1 are significantly impaired in IIM patients compared with HC, and inversely associate with IIM disease activity and the presence of severe ILD. The PON1 QQ genotype associates with more favourable disease outcomes in IIM patients. Large prospective studies are needed to further evaluate the role of PON1 and PON1 genetic polymorphisms in the development and propagation of IIM and IIM-ILD.