Best M, et al. - This paper encompassed the definition of the clinical phenotype of dermatomyositis (DM) and the risk of cancer, interstitial lung disease (ILD) and calcinosis based on myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSA). A more accurate appraisal of the risk of cancer, ILD and calcinosis could be achieved via the detection of the adult DM phenotype associated with MSA.

Methods

• The design of this trial was a 3.5-year multicenter prospective study.
• The enrollment consisted of adult DM patients.
• Herein, the authors contemplated the clinical phenotype related to MSA and the presence of cancer, ILD and calcinosis.

Results

• Among the 117 included patients, MSA were detected in 47.1% of the enrollees.
• Patients with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 antibodies (13.7%) presented with substantially more palmar violaceous macules/papules (odds ratio (OR) 9.9), mechanic's hands (OR 8), cutaneous necrosis (OR 3.2), and articular involvement (OR 15.2), and a higher risk of ILD (OR 25.3).
• The data depicted that patients with anti-transcriptional intermediary factor-1 antibodies (11.1%), anti-nuclear matrix protein-2 antibodies (6.8%) and anti-aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetase (5.1%) had, respectively, considerably more poikiloderma (OR 5.9), calcinosis (OR 9.8), and articular involvement (OR 15.2).
• Cutaneous necrosis was discovered to be the sole clinical manifestation that prominently associated with cancer (OR 3.1).