Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
1989-8-4
pubmed:abstractText
Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, a category encompassing polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and a number of other disorders, is very uncommon, but has been the focus of intense study in the Arthritis and Rheumatism Branch of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases for the past several years. We describe the clinical picture, stressing the need for biopsy to ensure correct diagnosis. It is especially important to recognize the treatment-resistant variant, inclusion body myositis. The extraskeletal manifestations, particularly the cardiopulmonary, oropharyngeal, gastrointestinal, and endocrine involvement, are described. The cardiopulmonary involvement, especially interstitial lung disease, arrhythmias, and cardiac failure, may dominate the clinical picture. The known causes are varied, and include drugs, toxins, and some infectious agents, however, in most cases a cause cannot yet be identified. Circumstantial evidence suggests that picornaviruses may initiate some cases in humans, and a very similar disease in mice caused by a picornavirus is actively under study. Studies of autoantibodies and cellular immune function support a central role for disordered immunity in the pathogenesis. The myositis-specific autoantibodies, especially those directed at certain enzymes important in protein synthesis (the aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetases), are found in a clinically distinct subset of patients. Although most patients respond initially to corticosteroids, cytotoxic drugs are sometimes added when steroid toxicity or refractoriness develops. We describe several newer therapies under study for such cases and outline future directions in research.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jul
pubmed:issn
0003-4819
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
15
pubmed:volume
111
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
143-57
pubmed:dateRevised
2004-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1989
pubmed:articleTitle
Current concepts in the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and related disorders.
pubmed:affiliation
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review