Clinical subsets associated with different anti-aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase antibodies and their association with coexisting anti-Ro52

Abstract

Objective: To characterize clinical features of polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) patients with different anti-aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase (ARS) antibodies and their association with anti-Ro52.

Methods: Autoantibodies in sera from 97 Japanese patients (36 PM, 56 DM, and 5 clinically amyopathic DM), who satisfied Bohan and Peter or modified Sontheimer's criteria, were characterized by immunoprecipitation and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical information was from medical records. Features associated with different anti-ARS and anti-Ro52 antibodies were analyzed.

Results: The prevalence of anti-ARS was similar to other studies (Jo-1, 22%; EJ, 4%; OJ, 1%; PL-12, 1%), except for a high prevalence of anti-PL-7 (12%), which allowed us to characterize patients carrying this specificity. Serum creatine kinase >3000 IU/l was less common in anti-PL-7-positive patients (57%) than anti-Jo-1-positive patients (18%) (p = 0.0328) and was not found in anti-EJ-positive individuals. Interstitial lung disease was common in anti-ARS-positive patients (97%) (p < 0.0001 vs. 48% in anti-ARS-negative). Anti-Ro52 antibodies were frequently detected with anti-ARS (59%) (57% in anti-Jo-1, 67% in anti-PL-7) (vs. 21% in anti-ARS-negative, p < 0.0002). Anti-Ro52 was associated with overlap syndrome (26%) (vs. 7% in anti-Ro52-negative, p = 0.0119).

Conclusions: Patients with different anti-ARS in combination with anti-Ro52 appear to be associated with distinctive clinical subsets.

Keywords:

• Amyopathic dermatomyositis
• Anti-aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase (ARS) antibodies
• Anti-PL-7 antibodies
• Anti-Ro52 antibodies
• Polymyositis/dermatomyositis

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Ms. Yuriko Morosawa, a medical coordinator in Rheumatology and Allergology, for assisting the study.

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.