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NIH CONFERENCE

Myositis: Immunologic Contributions to Understanding Cause, Pathogenesis, and Therapy

Paul H. Plotz; Lisa G. Rider; Ira N. Targoff; Nina Raben; Terrance P. O'Hanlon; and Frederick W. Miller

1 May 1995 | Volume 122 Issue 9 | Pages 715-724

The myositis syndromes, the most common forms of which are polymyositis and dermatomyositis, are defined by idiopathic chronic inflammation in skeletal muscle.Although initially described more than a century ago, these diseases are so rare and heterogeneous that we have only a limited understanding of their causes and treatment. Recently, autoimmune responses to nuclear and cytoplasmic autoantigens that are unique to patients with myositis, the myositis-specific autoantibodies, have proved clinically useful in helping predict signs and symptoms of myositis, immunogenetics, responses to therapy, and prognosis. We summarize this new information on the variety and nature of these autoantibodies, their target epitopes, and their possible use in identifying causes, pathogenetic mechanisms, and better therapies for these increasingly recognized disorders.

Author and Article Information

An edited summary of a Combined Clinical Staff Conference held on 29 September 1993 at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Authors who wish to cite a section of the conference and specifically indicate its author may use this example for the form of reference:
Rider L. Childhood myositis: newly recognized diversity, pp 716-7. In: Plotz P, moderator. Myositis: immunologic contributions to understanding cause, pathogenesis, and therapy. Ann Intern Med. 1995; 122:715-24.
Requests for Reprints: Paul H. Plotz, MD, Building 10, Room 9N228, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.

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