Dermatomyositis Patients with the MDA-5 Antibody Have Increased Pulmonary Disease and Skin Ulcerations

But our author prefers to test all DM patients for interstitial lung disease.

Patients with dermatomyositis (DM) may have interstitial lung disease (ILD). Some observations suggest that ILD is more prevalent in patients with clinically amyopathic DM (CADM), particularly in East Asians. Recently, an antibody directed against melanoma-differentiation–associated gene 5 (MDA-5) has been linked to ILD-associated DM. Until recently, I was skeptical of the value of assessing for this antibody.

The researchers looked for anti–MDA-5 in 140 patients with various connective tissue diseases — DM (32), CADM (32), systemic lupus erythematosus (18), polymyositis (15), Sjögren syndrome (15), systemic sclerosis (14), mixed connective tissue disease (9), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (5) — and in 12 healthy controls. They found anti–MD…

Reviewing Author

Jeffrey P. Callen, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board XOMA; Eli Lilly; Celgene

Equity Various trust accounts

Editorial boards JAMA Dermatology; UpToDate

Leadership positions in professional societies Association of Professors of Dermatology (President-Elect)