Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027121 (myositis)
 4,538 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

An open study was conducted to identify and investigate dermatomyositis patients who benefit from IVIG treatment, based on dermatological criteria, myositis-related symptoms and immune/inflammatory parameters. 19 patients (16 females and three males, ages 31-84) suffered from dermatomyositis, and 4/19 patients had paraneoplastic dermatomyositis. We monitored the disease activity by documenting the clinical symptoms, recording muscle-related parameters (electromyography, serum creatine kinase, histopathology), and by determining circulating autoantibodies and serum levels of IL-6, sIL-2R, sTNF-a-R, sICAM-1, and sCD8. 7/19 patients responded to IVIG. They had severe skin but only moderate muscle involvement, no autoantibodies, and no malignancy. IVIG-nonresponders had severe skin and muscle disease, concomitant with autoantibodies and/or malignancy. sIL-2R levels were initially elevated in all patients but reverted to normal in IVIG-responders only. Creatine kinase-levels and other parameters did not correlate with disease activity and/or treatment response. IVIG is effective in selected dermatomyositis patients. sIL-2R serum levels appear to be useful predictors of IVIG-induced treatment response and disease activity.
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PMID:High dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in dermatomyositis: clinical responses and effect on sIL-2R levels. 1069 94