Anti-SS-A/Ro antibody positivity as a risk factor for relapse in patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis

• Published in: Modern rheumatology Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 141 - 146
• Main Authors: Tatebe, Noriko, Sada, Ken-ei, Asano, Yosuke, Zeggar, Sonia, Hiramatsu, Sumie, Miyawaki, Yoshia, Ohashi, Keiji, Morishita, Michiko, Katsuyama, Takayuki, Katsuyama, Eri, Watanabe, Haruki, Narazaki, Mariko, Watanabe, Katsue, Kawabata, Tomoko, Wada, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 02.01.2018
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anti-SS-A/Ro antibodies; Antibodies, Antinuclear - blood; Biomarkers - blood; dermatomyositis; Dermatomyositis - blood; Dermatomyositis - diagnosis; Dermatomyositis - immunology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; polymyositis; Polymyositis - blood; Polymyositis - diagnosis; Polymyositis - immunology; Recurrence; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Anti-SS-A/Ro antibodies; polymyositis; dermatomyositis
• ISSN: 1439-7595; 1439-7609
• DOI: 10.1080/14397595.2017.1317377

Objective: The objective of this study is to elucidate predictors of relapse in patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis (PM/DM). Methods: Fifty PM/DM patients who achieved disease stabilization at Okayama University Hospital in 2004-2014 were enrolled retrospectively. Candidate predictors such as demographic factors, clinical symptoms, laboratory data, and treatment status were compared. Results: The mean age of enrolled patients was 58 years; 34 were female. The patient groupings were as follows: 21 with PM, 27 with DM, and two with clinically amyopathic DM. During a mean observation period of 685 d, 5 patients (10%) died and 20 (40%) relapsed. The relapsed patients displayed baseline muscle weakness less frequently (85% versus 100%, p = .03) and anti-SS-A/Ro antibody more frequently (65% versus 27%, p = .007). Anti-SS-A/Ro-positive patients exhibited a higher relapse rate than anti-SS-A/Ro-negative patients (log-rank test, p = .03). Anti-SS-A/Ro-positive patients also exhibited higher anti-Jo-1 antibody positivity and lower levels of serum complement. After adjusting anti-Jo-1 antibody positivity, age, sex, CK <500 IU/L, and lung involvement, anti-SS-A/Ro positivity was still an independent risk factor for higher relapse-rate (odds ratio, 5.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-25.1). Conclusions: Anti-SS-A/Ro antibody positivity may be a useful biomarker for prediction of relapse.