2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Criteria for Minimal, Moderate, and Major Clinical Response in Adult Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis: An International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation Collaborative Initiative

Relapse risk factors and clinical characteristics of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies in 105 patients

OBJECTIVE

To identify the risk factors for relapse of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs).

METHODS

Patients who were newly diagnosed with IIMs and underwent muscle biopsy between 2000 and 2017 at Asan Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. The relapse of IIMs was defined as the recurrence of muscle or cutaneous manifestations with a ≥50% increase in glucocorticoid dosage after reaching the low-dose glucocorticoid phase with clinically significant improvement. The factors associated with the relapse of IIMs were investigated by Cox proportional hazards analysis.

RESULTS

Of 105 patients with IIMs, relapse was observed in 65 patients (62%). The titer of antinuclear antibody (ANA) was higher in the relapse group than in the non-relapse group (P = 0.033). Multivariable analysis showed that the relapse of IIMs was significantly associated with histopathologic features consistent with IIMs (hazard ratio [HR], 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-2.83, P = 0.045) and the use of immunosuppressants before relapse (HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.29-0.86, P = 0.013). Doubling of ANA titer was also associated with relapse, albeit without statistical significance (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.00-1.27, P = 0.052).

CONCLUSION

In patients with IIMs, the use of immunosuppressants had a significant negative association with relapse. Administering immunosuppressants from the early period during the initial glucocorticoid tapering phase may be useful in reducing the risk of relapse in patients with IIMs. Key Points • Since idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) have a low prevalence, it is poorly understood which factors are associated with the relapse of IIMs. • In this study, about two-thirds of 105 patients with IIMs experienced a relapse of IIMs. • The risk of relapse in patients with IIMs was negatively associated with the use of immunosuppressants during glucocorticoid tapering and low-dose glucocorticoid phase. • Even in less severe cases, the use of immunosuppressants might be a good option for the management of IIMs.

Updates in Dermatomyositis: Newer Treatment Options and Outcome Measures From Dermatologic Perspectives

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a rare autoimmune connective tissue disease with characteristic skin manifestations and possible muscle involvement. Recent advances in classification system to include skin-predominant subtypes, understanding underlying pathogenic mechanisms and the relationship between clinical phenotypes and myositis-specific autoantibodies have led to development of novel therapeutic options. This corresponds with efforts to develop better outcome measures to accurately catch the patients' current disease status and treatment-induced improvements. This report will review the updates in newer treatments and outcome measures of DM, specifically from a dermatologic point of view.

Activity Prediction Modeling Based on a Combination of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 and Serum Biomarker Levels in Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis

AIMS

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) plays an important role in multiple inflammatory disorders. We aimed to analyze serum GDF15 levels in adult patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs).

METHODS

Serum GDF15 levels were measured in 179 adult patients with IIMs and 76 healthy controls (HCs). The association between GDF15 levels and disease variables was analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the discriminatory ability of GDF15 and the GDF15-to-lymphocyte ratio (GLR). Machine learning methods were applied to build predictive models.

RESULTS

GDF15 levels and GLR were significantly elevated in patients with adult IIMs than in HCs. Compared with patients in remission, both GDF15 and GLR were significantly higher in myositis patients in an active phase. GDF15 levels correlated positively with myositis disease activity indices and negatively correlated with lymphocyte and platelet counts. ROC curve analysis revealed that GDF15 levels and GLR outperformed muscle enzymes and distinguished well between patients with active disease and those in remission. Furthermore, even in the normal muscle enzyme group, GDF15 levels and GLR were also well-distinguished between patients with active disease and those in remission. Using machine learning, a logistic regression model of GDF15 combined with creatine kinase and lymphocyte count was constructed and had a reliable predictive value for disease activity.

CONCLUSIONS

GDF15, particularly GLR, was significantly correlated with disease activity in adult patients with IIMs. They could serve as useful biochemical markers for evaluating disease activity, monitoring disease progression, and guiding treatment in adult patients with IIMs.

Effectiveness and safety of mycophenolate mofetil and rituximab combination therapy for immune idiopathic myopathies

INTRODUCTION

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) represent a rare and heterogenous group diseases, and their treatment is not fully defined yet. According to previous small case series, the combination of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and rituximab (RTX) may be effective in controlling difficult-to-treat patients. Our aim was to further explore the efficacy and safety of this combined approach in patients with IIM.

METHODS

Patients with IIM treated with the RTX/MMF combination in our Center were retrospectively identified. After the start of combination therapy, the efficacy was evaluated at 12 months (T12) according the 2016 ACR/EULAR response criteria for IIM. Cardiac imaging and pulmonary function tests were used to monitor disease activity in patients with myocarditis and interstitial lung disease, respectively. Adverse events were recorded over the follow-up period.

RESULTS

Among the 20 patients (median age 61 years; 70% female) included in the study, anti-synthetase syndrome was the most prevalent IIM subgroup (60%). At treatment start, muscle, heart, and lung were the most commonly actively affected organs. After 12 months, a moderate or major response was observed in all patients, and creatine kinase was significantly decreased (p-value = 0.012). Cardiac imaging and enzymes monitoring showed a reduction of heart inflammation, while pulmonary function tests improved in patients with lung involvement. No severe side effects were observed.

CONCLUSION

Our data show that combination of RTX and MMF is effective and safe in patients with severe and refractory IIM. Therefore, this combined treatment might represent a feasible approach for difficult-to-treat IIM cases.

CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy in Autoimmune Disease - A Case Series with Follow-up

BACKGROUND

Treatment for autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), idiopathic inflammatory myositis, and systemic sclerosis often involves long-term immune suppression. Resetting aberrant autoimmunity in these diseases through deep depletion of B cells is a potential strategy for achieving sustained drug-free remission.

METHODS

We evaluated 15 patients with severe SLE (8 patients), idiopathic inflammatory myositis (3 patients), or systemic sclerosis (4 patients) who received a single infusion of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells after preconditioning with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide. Efficacy up to 2 years after CAR T-cell infusion was assessed by means of Definition of Remission in SLE (DORIS) remission criteria, American College of Rheumatology-European League against Rheumatism (ACR-EULAR) major clinical response, and the score on the European Scleroderma Trials and Research Group (EUSTAR) activity index (with higher scores indicating greater disease activity), among others. Safety variables, including cytokine release syndrome and infections, were recorded.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 15 months (range, 4 to 29). The mean (±SD) duration of B-cell aplasia was 112±47 days. All the patients with SLE had DORIS remission, all the patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis had an ACR-EULAR major clinical response, and all the patients with systemic sclerosis had a decrease in the score on the EUSTAR activity index. Immunosuppressive therapy was completely stopped in all the patients. Grade 1 cytokine release syndrome occurred in 10 patients. One patient each had grade 2 cytokine release syndrome, grade 1 immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome, and pneumonia that resulted in hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

In this case series, CD19 CAR T-cell transfer appeared to be feasible, safe, and efficacious in three different autoimmune diseases, providing rationale for further controlled clinical trials. (Funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and others.).

Semi-quantitative thigh magnetic resonance imaging scores in assessing disease activity and determining long-term clinical outcome in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: a causal mediation analysis

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the relationship of thigh MRI (t-MRI) with manual muscle testing-8 (MMT-8), muscle enzymes and autoantibodies. To determine the causal and mediating factors resulting in poor recovery of MMT-8 in inflammatory myositis (IIM).

METHODS

This was a single-centre retrospective study in IIM patients. t-MRI was semi-quantitatively scored for muscle oedema, fascial oedema, muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration. Spearman correlation of t-MRI scores was done with muscle enzymes at baseline, and MMT-8 at baseline and on follow-up. Causal mediation analysis was performed with age, sex, symptom duration, autoantibodies, diabetes and BMI as independent variables, follow-up MMT-8 as dependent and t-MRI scores as mediating variables.

RESULTS

Baseline evaluation was done on 59 and follow-up on 38 patients. Median follow-up of the cohort was 31 (10-57) months. Baseline MMT-8 negatively correlated with muscle oedema (r = -0755), fascial oedema (r = -0.443) and muscle atrophy (r = -0.343). Creatinine kinase (r = 0.422) and aspartate transaminase (r = 0.480) positively correlated with muscle oedema. Follow-up MMT-8 correlated negatively with baseline atrophy (r = -0.497) and fatty infiltration (r = -0.531). On follow-up, MMT-8 males had positive total effect (estimate (95%CI)) via atrophy [2.93 (0.44, 4.89)] and fatty infiltration [2.08 (0.54, 3.71)]. Antisynthetase antibody had a positive total effect via fatty infiltration [4.50 (0.37, 7.59)]. Age had a negative total effect via atrophy [-0.09 (0.19, -0.01)] and fatty infiltration [-0.07 (-0.15, -0.01)]. Disease duration had a negative total effect via fatty infiltration [-0.18 (-0.27, -0.02)].

CONCLUSION

Baseline fatty infiltration and muscle atrophy resulting from older age, female sex, longer disease duration and absent anti-synthetase antibodies, partly mediate muscle recovery in IIM.

Phase 3, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of ustekinumab in Japanese patients with active polymyositis and dermatomyositis who have not adequately responded to one or more standard-of-care treatments

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ustekinumab (UST) in a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adult Japanese patients with active polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM).

METHODS

Fifty-one Japanese adults diagnosed with active PM/DM who did not respond adequately to one or more standard-of-care treatments were randomised 1:1 to receive UST (n=25) or placebo (n=26). Participants received body weight-range based intravenous administration of UST (6 mg/kg) or placebo at week 0 followed by 90 mg subcutaneous (SC) administration of UST or placebo every 8 weeks from week 8 to week 24. At week 24, placebo group crossed over to receive body weight-range based intravenous administration of UST, and thereafter, all participants received/were to receive SC administration of UST 90 mg every 8 weeks (week 32 through to week 72). The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of participants who achieved minimal improvement (≥20) in the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Total Improvement Score (IMACS TIS) at week 24.

RESULTS

No statistically significant difference was seen in the proportion of participants who achieved minimal improvement (≥20) in IMACS TIS at week 24 between the treatment groups (UST 64.0% vs placebo 61.5%, p=0.94) based on the primary estimand of the primary endpoint analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

UST was safe and well tolerated but did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint in adult Japanese participants with active PM/DM based on the primary analysis at week 24 in the study.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03981744.

Treatment with add-on IVIg in Myositis Early In the diSease course May be sUperior to Steroids alone for reaching CLinical improvEment (TIME IS MUSCLE): study protocol of a phase-2 double-blind placebo-controlled randomised trial

INTRODUCTION

For idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) ('myositis') standard initial treatment is high-dosed glucocorticoids, which results in relatively slow improvement of muscle strength. Early immunosuppression or modulation by intensive treatment ('hit-early, hit-hard') may induce faster reduction of disease activity and prevent chronic disability due to disease-induced structural muscle damage. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in addition to standard glucocorticoid treatment may be promising in this regard as was shown in various studies: add-on IVIg improved symptoms and muscle strength in refractory myositis patients and monotherapy IVIg improved outcomes after 9 weeks, in about half of treatment-naive patients.

HYPOTHESIS

We hypothesise that early add-on IVIg leads to a greater clinical response after 12 weeks in patients with newly diagnosed myositis, in comparison to prednisone monotherapy. Second, we expect that early treatment with add-on IVIg leads to a faster time to improvement and sustained positive effects on multiple secondary outcomes.

METHODS

The Time Is Muscle trial is a phase-2 double-blind placebo-controlled randomised trial. Forty-eight patients with IIM will be treated with IVIg or placebo at baseline (within 1 week after diagnosis) and after 4 and 8 weeks, in addition to standard therapy with prednisone. The primary outcome is the Total Improvement Score (TIS) of the myositis response criteria at 12 weeks. At baseline, and after 4, 8, 12, 26 and 52 weeks, relevant secondary outcomes will be assessed, including time to moderate improvement (TIS≥40), mean daily prednisone dosage, physical activity, health-related quality of life, fatigue and MRI muscle imaging parameters.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval was obtained from the medical ethics committee of the Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2020_180; including a first amendment approval at the 12 April 2023; A2020_180_0001). The results will be distributed through conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

EU Clinical trials register (2020-001710-37).

Improvement in Disease Activity in Refractory Juvenile Dermatomyositis Following Abatacept Therapy

OBJECTIVE

This open-label, 24-week study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of abatacept in patients with refractory juvenile dermatomyositis (DM).

METHODS

Ten patients ≥7 years of age with moderate disease activity were enrolled in a 24-week study to examine the safety of subcutaneous abatacept and patient responses to the treatment. The primary endpoint was the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies (IMACS) group Definition Of Improvement (DOI). Secondary endpoints included safety, changes in the core set activity measures (CSMs) of the IMACS group and the Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization, and improvements in disease activity based on the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/EULAR response criteria for juvenile DM. Radiologists blinded with regard to participant data assessed magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of patient thigh muscles. Interferon (IFN)-regulated gene score was performed on whole-blood RNA samples using a NanoString assay, and cytokines were assessed using a Luminex assay.

RESULTS

Five patients achieved DOI at week 12, and 9 patients achieved DOI at week 24, including 2 patients with minimal, 4 patients with moderate, and 3 patients with major improvement by the 2016 ACR/EULAR response criteria for juvenile DM when patients were assessed using the CSMs of the IMACS Group. Improvements from baseline were seen in all CSMs at weeks 12 and 24, except in muscle enzymes. Daily glucocorticoid doses decreased from a mean of 16.7 mg at baseline to 10.2 mg at week 24 (P = 0.002). Average MRI muscle edema scores decreased from a mean baseline score of 5.3 to 2.3 at week 24 (P = 0.01). Six patients had down-trending IFN-regulated gene scores and galectin-9 expression at week 24. Decreases in IFN-regulated gene scores and in levels of interferon-γ-inducible protein 10kDa, galectin-9, and interleukin-2 correlated with improvements in disease activity and in muscle edema shown on MRI. Eleven grade 2 or 3 treatment-emergent adverse events were observed.

CONCLUSION

This open-label study demonstrated that abatacept may be beneficial for patients with treatment-refractory juvenile DM.

Juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myositis: an update on pathophysiology and clinical care

The childhood-onset or juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIMs) are a heterogenous group of rare and serious autoimmune diseases of children and young people that predominantly affect the muscles and skin but can also involve other organs, including the lungs, gut, joints, heart and central nervous system. Different myositis-specific autoantibodies have been identified that are associated with different muscle biopsy features, as well as with different clinical characteristics, prognoses and treatment responses. Thus, myositis-specific autoantibodies can be used to subset JIIMs into sub-phenotypes; some of these sub-phenotypes parallel disease seen in adults, whereas others are distinct from adult-onset idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Although treatments and management have much improved over the past decade, evidence is still lacking for many of the current treatments and few validated prognostic biomarkers are available with which to predict response to treatment, comorbidities (such as calcinosis) or outcome. Emerging data on the pathogenesis of the JIIMs are leading to proposals for new trials and tools for monitoring disease.

Trial of intravenous immunoglobulin in dermatomyositis: a critically appraised research paper

Aggarwal et al. recently reported results from the first successful phase III trial studying intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in dermatomyositis (DM). The study showed that improvement in disease activity was clinically and statistically significantly greater in those who received IVIG than in those who received placebo, allowing US Food and Drug Administration approval for use of IVIG in DM. Despite its success, this study also highlights several concerns that must be addressed to inform future trials in the field, particularly the inclusion of patients with skin-predominant/amyopathic and post-myopathic DM.

[Myositis: from diagnosis to treatment]

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory diseases of the skeletal muscle are important, often severe diseases with a considerable impact on the quality of life. In addition to muscle weakness there is often involvement of other organs, such as the heart, lungs and esophagus with symptoms such as dyspnea or dysphagia.

PURPOSE

A fast and effective treatment is only possible by an early and reliable diagnosis according to current national and international standards.

METHODS

The diagnostic repertoire includes autoantibody testing, imaging, muscle biopsy, detection of extramuscular manifestations, e.g., by high-resolution lung computed tomography (CT) and an individualized tumor search. An optimal treatment and the avoidance of irreversible damage, such as a loss of walking ability, are only possible through a good interdisciplinary cooperation including neurology or pediatrics, rheumatology, dermatology, neuropathology, pulmonology and cardiology.

RESULTS

In addition to standard immunosuppression with glucocorticosteroids, azathioprine or methotrexate, escalation treatment with rituximab is now well established. Interdisciplinary treatment according to national and international standards, such as guidelines on myositis, should be coordinated at qualified centers of excellence.

DISCUSSION

Helpful resources are the MYOSITIS NETZ ( www.myositis-netz.de ) and the International Myositis Society (iMyoS; www.imyos.org ).

Low serum level of citrullinated histone H3 in patients with dermatomyositis

OBJECTIVES

We aimed at analyzing the serum levels of citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3) in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and their association with disease activity.

METHODS

Serum CitH3 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in serum samples obtained from 93 DM patients and 56 healthy controls (HCs). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the discriminant capacity of CitH3 and other disease variables. The association between CitH3 and disease variables was analyzed using Pearson's rank correlation.

RESULTS

Serum CitH3 level was significantly lower in DM patients than in HCs (p < 0.001). The ROC curve analysis revealed that CitH3 strongly discriminated DM patients from HCs (area under the curve [AUC], 0.86), and a combination of CitH3 and the ratio of neutrophil to lymphocyte counts (NLR) showed a greater diagnostic value (AUC, 0.92). Serum CitH3 levels were markedly lower in DM patients with normal muscle enzyme levels than in HCs (all p < 0.001), and when compared to an elevated group, the CitH3 levels were comparable (all p > 0.05). The CitH3 levels showed no difference between DM in active and remission groups. However, in a paired test with 18 hospitalized DM patients, the CitH3 levels were higher in remission state than in active state. Moreover, the CitH3 levels showed no correlation with disease variables that were associated with the disease activity of DM.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum CitH3 level may serve as a useful biochemical marker for screening patients with DM from HCs, while its role in monitoring DM disease activity requires further research.

Zilucoplan in immune-mediated necrotising myopathy: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial

Background

Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) is an autoimmune myopathy characterised by proximal muscle weakness, high creatine kinase (CK) values, and autoantibodies recognizing 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) or the signal recognition particle (SRP). There are currently no approved therapies for IMNM and many patients experience active disease despite off-label treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin, glucocorticoids, and immunosuppressants. Detection of complement-activating anti-HMGCR and anti-SRP autoantibodies and the presence of complement deposition on the sarcolemma of non-necrotic myofibers led to the hypothesis that complement activation may be pathogenic in IMNM, therefore zilucoplan, a complement component 5 (C5) inhibitor, could be a potential therapy.

Methods

IMNM01, a phase 2, multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (NCT04025632) at 15 sites (four countries) evaluated efficacy, safety, and tolerability of zilucoplan in adult participants with anti-HMGCR or anti-SRP autoantibody-positive IMNM. Participants were randomised 1:1 to receive daily subcutaneous zilucoplan (0·3mg/kg) or placebo for eight weeks; with optional enrolment in the study open-label extension. Primary efficacy endpoint was percent change from baseline to Week 8 in CK levels. Secondary endpoints included safety.

Findings

Between 07 November 2019 and 07 January 2021, 27 participants (13 female and 14 male) received zilucoplan (n=12) or placebo (n=15) and completed the 8-week main study. At Week 8 there were no clinically relevant or statistically significant differences, despite target engagement based on mode of action, between treatment arms in mean percent change (standard deviation) of CK levels versus baseline (-9·86% [26·06] versus -20·72% [31·22] in zilucoplan [n=10] and placebo arms [n=14], p=0·46, respectively) and no clinically relevant improvement over time within the treatment arm. There were no unexpected adverse safety or tolerability findings. Treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and serious TEAEs were reported in n=9 (75·0%) vs n=13 (86·7%) and n=0 (0%) and n=3 (20·0%) participants, respectively. The most frequent TEAEs were headache (n=4 in both groups [33·3% and 26·7%, respectively]) and nausea (n=3 in both groups [25·0% and 20·0%, respectively]).

Interpretation

C5 inhibition does not appear to be an effective treatment modality for IMNM. Rather than driving myofiber necrosis, complement activation may be secondary to muscle injury.

Funding

Study funded by Ra Pharmaceuticals (now part of UCB Pharma).

Statin-associated immune-mediated necrotizing myositis in Native Americans

OBJECTIVES

Statin-associated immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) and idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM) are myopathies with overlapping features. This study compared the manifestations of IMNM to IIM in Native Americans.

METHOD

Twenty-one Native American patients with inflammatory myopathy (IM) were characterized as to diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, statin exposure, myopathy diagnosis, muscle histology, autoimmune and myositis-specific autoantibodies, therapy and outcome.

RESULTS

IM consisted of 52.4% IMNM, 42.9% IIM and 4.8% metabolic myopathy. IMNM vs IIM patients were older [61.6 years (s.d. 9.8) vs 39.8 (14.3)], diabetes mellitus (100% vs 55.6%), hyperlipidaemia (100% vs 33.3%), statin-exposure (100% vs 22.2%), creatine kinase [CK; 11 780 IU (s.d. 7064) vs 1707 (1658)], anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) antibodies (85.7% vs 11.1%) and necrotizing IM (81.8% vs 11.1%), but shorter disease duration [26.2 months (s.d. 395) vs 78.4 (47.9)], RP (9.1% vs 55.6%), cutaneous manifestations (0% vs 55.6%), ANA (18.2% vs 66.7%) or any autoantibody (18.2% vs 88.9%) (all P < 0.05). MRI abnormalities, histologic IM, myositis-specific autoantibodies, pulmonary hypertension, oesophageal dysfunction, interstitial lung disease, disability and persistently elevated CK were similar. IMNM vs IIM was treated more with IVIG (72.7% vs 11.1%; P = 0.009) and less with antimetabolites (45.5% vs 88.9%; P = 0.05) and rituximab (18.2% vs 55.6%; P = 0.09).

CONCLUSIONS

IMNM may occur in Native Americans and is associated with diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, statin use and older age and is characterized by marked CK elevation, necrotizing myopathy and anti-HMGCR antibodies with few cutaneous or vascular manifestations.

Trial of Intravenous Immune Globulin in Dermatomyositis

BACKGROUND

Intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) for the treatment of dermatomyositis has not been extensively evaluated.

METHODS

We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving patients with active dermatomyositis. The patients were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive IVIG at a dose of 2.0 g per kilogram of body weight or placebo every 4 weeks for 16 weeks. The patients who received placebo and those without confirmed clinical deterioration while receiving IVIG could enter an open-label extension phase for another 24 weeks. The primary end point was a response, defined as a Total Improvement Score (TIS) of at least 20 (indicating at least minimal improvement) at week 16 and no confirmed deterioration up to week 16. The TIS is a weighted composite score reflecting the change in a core set of six measures of myositis activity over time; scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater improvement. Key secondary end points included at least moderate improvement (TIS ≥40) and major improvement (TIS ≥60), and change in score on the Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index.

RESULTS

A total of 95 patients underwent randomization: 47 patients were assigned to the IVIG group, and 48 to the placebo group. At 16 weeks, 79% of the patients in the IVIG group (37 of 47) and 44% of those in the placebo group (21 of 48) had a TIS of at least 20 (difference, 35 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, 17 to 53; P<0.001). The results with respect to the secondary end points, including at least moderate improvement and major improvement, were generally in the same direction as the results of the primary end-point analysis, except for the change in creatine kinase level (an individual core measure of the TIS), which did not differ meaningfully between the two groups. Over 40 weeks, 282 treatment-related adverse events occurred in the IVIG group, including headache (in 42% of patients), pyrexia (in 19%), and nausea (in 16%). A total of 9 serious adverse events that were considered to be related to IVIG occurred, including 6 thromboembolic events.

CONCLUSIONS

In this 16-week trial involving adults with dermatomyositis, the percentage of patients with a response of at least minimal improvement based on a composite score of disease activity was significantly greater among those who received IVIG than among those who received placebo. IVIG was associated with adverse events, including thromboembolism. (Funded by Octapharma Pharmazeutika; ProDERM ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02728752.).

Assessment of Physical Activity and Muscle Function in Adult Inflammatory Myopathies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aim is to summarize the outcome measures used in the assessment and monitoring of muscle function and physical activity in the management idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

RECENT FINDINGS

Assessment techniques have progressed and matured over the past decade, and new options are now available to clinicians working in this field. Newer outcome measures, including the Functional Index-3 and wearable motion sensors are reviewed, as well as the current application of more established measures. The available outcome measures for use in clinical practice in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies with regard to muscle function and physical activity have expanded over the past 15 years. There are valid and reliable options for several domains and methods for assessing these factors. In a busy clinical setting, efficiency is important, but there also needs to be considered the choosing of tools that work together to give the fullest picture of the status of the patient.

Branched chain amino acids in the treatment of polymyositis and dermatomyositis: a phase II/III, multi-center, randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy and safety of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) in the treatment of PM/DM prior to official approval of their use in Japan.

METHODS

Treatment naïve adults with PM/DM were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind trial to receive either TK-98 (drug name of BCAAs) or placebo in addition to conventional treatment. After 12 weeks, patients with an average manual muscle test (MMT) score <9.5 were enrolled in an open label extension study for a further 12 weeks. The primary end point was the change of the MMT score at 12 weeks. The secondary end points were the clinical response and the change of functional index (FI).

RESULTS

Forty-seven patients were randomized either to the TK-98 (n = 24) or placebo (n = 23) groups. The changes of MMT scores at 12 weeks were 0.70±0.19 (mean±SEM) and 0.69±0.18, respectively (P = 0.98). Thirteen patients from the TK-98 group and 12 from the placebo group were enrolled in the extension study. The MMT scores in both groups improved similarly. The increase of the FI scores of the shoulder flexion at 12 weeks was significantly greater in the TK-98 group (27.9±5.67 vs. 12.8±5.67 for the right shoulder flexion, and 27.0±5.44 vs. 13.4±5.95 for the left shoulder [P < 0.05]). Frequencies of adverse events upto 12 weeks were similar.

CONCLUSION

BCAAs showed no effect on the improvement of the muscle strength evaluated by MMT and the clinical response. However, they were partly effective for improving dynamic repetitive muscle functions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

UMIN-CTR Clinical Trial, https://center6.umin.ac.jp/, UMIN000016233.

OptimisAtion of Diagnostic Accuracy in idioPathic inflammaTory myopathies (ADAPT study): a protocol for a prospective diagnostic accuracy study of multimodality testing in patients suspected of a treatable idiopathic inflammatory myopathy

INTRODUCTION

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) excluding inclusion body myositis (IBM) are a group of heterogeneous autoimmune disorders characterised by subacute-onset and progressive proximal muscle weakness, which are frequently part of a multisystem autoimmune disorder. Reaching the diagnosis can be challenging, and no gold standard for the diagnosis of IIM exists. Diagnostic modalities include serum creatine kinase activity, muscle imaging (MRI or ultrasound (US)), electromyography (EMG), myositis autoantibody testing and muscle biopsy. Several diagnostic criteria have been developed for IIMs, varying in reported sensitivity and specificity.

HYPOTHESIS

We hypothesise that an evidence-based diagnostic strategy, using fewer and preferably the least invasive diagnostic modalities, can achieve the accuracy of a complete panel of diagnostic tests, including MRI, US, EMG, myositis-specific autoantibody testing and muscle biopsy.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The OptimizAtion of Diagnostic Accuracy in idioPathic inflammaTory myopathies study is a prospective diagnostic accuracy study with an over-complete study design. 100 patients suspected of an IIM excluding IBM will be included. A reference diagnosis will be assigned by an expert panel using all clinical information and all results of all ancillary tests available, including 6 months of follow-up. Several predefined diagnostic strategies will be compared against the reference diagnosis to find the optimal diagnostic strategy.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval was obtained from the medical ethics committee of the Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2019-814). The results will be distributed through conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Netherlands trial register; NL8764.

Assessment of disability in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy: a call for linearity

Objectives

To evaluate the clinimetric properties of the Academic Medical Centre Disability Score (ALDS) in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM).

Methods

We used prospectively collected data of IIM patients who completed a phase-2 study with first-line IVIG monotherapy. The ALDS is a patient-reported questionnaire which contains 25 items relevant for disability in myositis. ALDS and all core set measures (CSMs) for myositis [including HAQ-Disability Index (HAQ-DI)] were evaluated at baseline and 9 weeks follow-up. In addition, the 2016 ACR/EULAR myositis response criteria outcome called Total Improvement Score (TIS) was evaluated at 9 weeks. We examined floor/ceiling effects, reliability and construct validity of the ALDS. To examine known-group validity, ALDS change scores over time were compared with TIS and physician impression of clinical response.

Results

Nineteen patients with IIM [median age 59 years, 12 (63%) female] were enrolled. At baseline, ALDS showed a median score of 65.4 (IQR 58.2–73.5), good Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.84) and a small ceiling effect (11%). Construct validity was confirmed by moderate to strong correlations between ALDS and HAQ-DI [r_s = −0.57 (baseline); −0.86 (follow-up)]. ALDS change score correlated with TIS (r_s = 0.70), discriminated between responders and non-responders (TIS ≥ 40; P = 0.001), between groups based on physician impression of clinical response (P = 0.03), and detected deterioration.

Conclusion

The ALDS showed promising clinimetric properties and detected relevant changes in disability in patients with myositis. These results warrant further investigations.

Biomarker und Histologie bei idiopathischen inflammatorischen Myopathien

Die idiopathischen inflammatorischen Myopathien (IIM) sind eine Gruppe entzündlicher Muskelerkrankungen für deren Diagnosestellung, Verlaufsbeurteilung, Prognoseabschätzung und Risikostratifizierung Biomarker eine jeweils essentielle Rolle spielen. Biomarker in diesem Kontext können sowohl „herkömmliche“ serologische Marker wie Muskelenzyme oder Autoantikörper, histologische Marker wie entitätsspezifische inflammatorische Muster, aber auch genomische und genetische Marker sein. Der vorliegende Artikel gibt einen Überblick über bewährte und innovative Marker.

Small intestinal biopsy findings consistent with celiac disease in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy: Review of existing literature

BACKGROUND

Case reports have described patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) and a concurrent diagnosis of celiac disease (CeD) for whom the muscle inflammation (myositis) component of IIM improves after the patients start standard treatment with gluten-free diet (GFD). A connection between IIM and CeD is not commonly recognized.

AIM

In this first systematic review of the topic, we aimed to explore all peer-reviewed publications of IIM cases and concomitant small intestinal biopsy findings consistent with CeD, published after 1975.

METHODS

Systematic literature searches were performed in MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE, supplemented by screening of references and non-systematic searches via Google and Google Scholar.

RESULTS

Altogether 30 cases published between 1976 and 2017 were uncovered. Information about gastrointestinal symptoms prior to CeD diagnosis was available for 19 patients, with 6/19 (32%) reporting no GI symptoms. CeD-related serological data were available in 23/30 patients. Endomysial antibodies were present in 10/18 (56%), while only 2/9 (22%) had antibodies against tissue transglutaminase. Serum antibodies to native gliadin were present in 16/18 (89%). Clinical effects of a GFD on the IIM were reported for 24 patients, with signs of improvement in 14/24 (58%), including three patients with otherwise therapy-resistant inclusion body myositis. Longitudinal follow-up data available from the published studies indicated that 7/24 (29%) remained in clinical IIM remission with GFD as the sole therapeutic intervention.

CONCLUSION

In the IIM cases presented here, duodenal biopsy findings consistent with celiac disease was sometimes present without classical CeD symptoms or positive traditional CeD serology, and in the majority of cases, the IIM improved after introduction of a gluten-free diet. While extra vigilance towards CeD in IIM patients seems warranted, there is need for more research to clarify if GFD has effects on organ systems other than the small intestine in patients with IIM and small intestinal biopsy findings consistent with CeD.

Long Term Extension Study of Tofacitinib in Refractory Dermatomyositis

We previously demonstrated that tofacitinib was effective in treating skin-predominant refractory dermatomyositis (DM) at 12 weeks in a prospective open label clinical trial, Study of Tofacitinib In Refractory dermatomyositis (STIR) (1). Here, we report the long-term extension results of up to 96 weeks to investigate the treatment durability of tofacitinib in refractory DM. Inclusion criteria and outcome measures were the same as the parent study (1). Assessments were conducted at weeks 20, 72, and 96. The baseline demographic features of all 10 trial patients were reported previously (1).

Intravenous immunoglobulins as first-line treatment in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: a pilot study

OBJECTIVES

We explored efficacy and safety of IVIg as first-line treatment in patients with an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

METHODS

In this investigator-initiated phase 2 open-label study, we included 20 adults with a newly diagnosed, biopsy-proven idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, and a disease duration of less than 9 months. Patients with IBM and prior use of immunosuppressants were excluded. The standard treatment regimen consisted of IVIg (Privigen) monotherapy for 9 weeks: a loading dose (2 g/kg body weight) and two subsequent maintenance doses (1 g/kg body weight) with a 3-week interval. The primary outcome was the number of patients with at least moderate improvement on the 2016 ACR/EULAR Total Improvement Score. Secondary outcomes included time to improvement, the number of patients requiring rescue medication and serious adverse events.

RESULTS

We included patients with DM (n = 9), immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (n = 6), non-specific myositis/overlap myositis (n = 4) and anti-synthetase syndrome (n = 1). One patient was excluded from analyses because of minimal weakness resulting in a ceiling effect. Eight patients (8/19 = 42.0%; Clopper-Pearson 95% CI: 19.6, 64.6) had at least moderate improvement by 9 weeks. Of these, six reached improvement by 3 weeks. Seven patients required rescue medication due to insufficient efficacy and prematurely ended the study. Three serious adverse events occurred, of which one was pulmonary embolism.

CONCLUSION

First-line IVIg monotherapy led to at least moderate improvement in nearly half of patients with a fast clinical response in the majority of responders.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Netherlands Trial Register identifier, NTR6160.

Study of Tofacitinib in Refractory Dermatomyositis: An Open-Label Pilot Study of Ten Patients

OBJECTIVE

This open-label 12-week study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib, a JAK inhibitor, in treatment-refractory active dermatomyositis (DM).

METHODS

Tofacitinib in extended-release doses of 11 mg was administered daily to 10 subjects with DM. Prior to treatment, a complete washout of all steroid-sparing agents was performed. The primary outcome measure was assessment of disease activity improvement based on the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies group definition of improvement. Response rate was measured as the total improvement score according to the 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) myositis response criteria. Secondary outcome measures included Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index (CDASI) scores, chemokine levels, immunohistochemical analysis of STAT1 expression in the skin, RNA sequencing analysis, and safety.

RESULTS

At 12 weeks, the primary outcome was met in all 10 subjects. Five (50%) of 10 subjects experienced moderate improvement in disease activity, and the other 50% experienced minimal improvement according to the 2016 ACR/EULAR myositis response criteria. The secondary outcome of the mean change in the CDASI activity score over 12 weeks was statistically significant (mean ± SD 28 ± 15.4 at baseline versus 9.5 ± 8.5 at 12 weeks) (P = 0.0005). Serum chemokine levels of CXCL9/CXCL10 showed a statistically significant change from baseline. A marked decrease in STAT1 signaling in association with suppression of interferon target gene expression was demonstrated in 3 of 9 skin biopsy samples from subjects with dermatomyositis. The mean ± SD level of creatine kinase in the 10 subjects at baseline was 82 ± 34.8 IU/liter, highlighting that disease activity was predominantly located in the skin.

CONCLUSION

This is the first prospective, open-label clinical trial of tofacitinib in DM that demonstrates strong clinical efficacy of a pan-JAK inhibitor, as measured by validated myositis response criteria. Future randomized controlled trials using JAK inhibitors should be considered for treating DM.

Hydroxychloroquine in systemic and autoimmune diseases: Where are we now?

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), one of the oldest drugs used in rheumatology, came recently into attention as one of the potential therapies tested for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 disease treatment. Used initially as an antimalarial, then translated to rheumatic diseases, HCQ has been used in a wide range of pathologies, including infectious diseases, immune disorders, diabetes, dyslipidemia, or neoplasia. Regarding systemic diseases, HCQ is the mainstay treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), where, according to last European guidelines, it is proposed to all SLE patients unless contraindicated or with side effects. HCQ proved positive impact in SLE on robust outcomes, such as accrual damage, disease activity and survival, but also pleiomorphic effects, including decrease in the need for glucocorticoids, reduction in the risk of neonatal lupus, lower fasting glucose and protection against diabetes, thrombotic risk, dyslipidemia, infections, etc. Moreover, HCQ can be used during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Besides SLE, the role for HCQ in the anti-phospholipid syndrome and Sjögren's disease is still under debate. On the contrary, recent advances showed only limited interest for rheumatoid arthritis, especially due the lack of structural damage prevention. There are still no strong data to sustain the HCQ use in other systemic diseases. In this review, we summarised the utility and efficacy of HCQ in different clinical conditions relevant for rheumatology practice.

Prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase III study evaluating efficacy and safety of octagam 10% in patients with dermatomyositis ("ProDERM Study")

INTRODUCTION

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an inflammatory myopathy characterized by distinct skin manifestations and muscle weakness. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) has been used off-label as adjuvant therapy in DM, but is not indicated for DM, due to lack of proven efficacy in a large randomized controlled trial. The objective of the ProDERM (Progress in DERMatomyositis) study was to evaluate the efficacy, safety and long-term tolerability of IVIg (Octagam 10%) in patients with DM in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, Phase III study.

METHODS

Adult patients with active DM who were continuing standard therapy at a stable dose were eligible for this study. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either 2 g/kg of IVIg or placebo, administered every 4 weeks until week 16 (First Period). Patients were switched to the alternate treatment if they showed clinical deterioration in the First Period. After response assessment at week 16, all patients on placebo and those without deterioration on IVIg entered the open-label Extension Period, receiving 2 g/kg IVIg every 4 weeks for 24 weeks.

RESULTS

The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of responders in the IVIg vs placebo arm at week 16, where response was defined per 2016 ACR/EULAR Myositis Response Criteria of at least minimal improvement [Total Improvement Score (TIS) ≥20] and without deterioration at 2 consecutive visits up to week 16. TIS consists of composite response criteria, combining weighted improvement in 6 core set measures (CSMs), Global Disease Activity (Physician and Patient), manual muscle testing-8 (MMT-8), Health Assessment Questionnaire, extra-muscular disease activity, and muscle enzymes. Secondary endpoints included the mean change in individual CSMs, time to improvement in TIS, time to confirmed deterioration in the First Period, and the overall proportion of patients with deteriorations. Adverse events, including infusion reactions and thromboembolic events, were recorded.

CONCLUSIONS

The ProDERM study was the first to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of IVIg (Octagam 10%) in a placebo-controlled, blinded, randomized trial in DM. The study aimed to inform on the use of IVIg in the treatment of DM, and results are expected in Q3 2020.

CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER

NCT02728752.

Factors associated with treatment response in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. A registry-based study

Objective

To identify predictors of response to immunosuppressive therapy after 1 year, with a focus on autoantibodies, in patients newly diagnosed with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) followed longitudinally in an electronic registry.

Methods

We assessed the association between autoantibody‐defined groups and improvement according to American College of Rheumatology/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology 2016 response criteria.

Results

We identified 156 patients; of those, 111 (71%) were positive for any autoantibody tested, 90% received glucocorticoid treatment at baseline, and 78% received immunosuppressive drugs at some follow‐up point. After 1 year from the index date, the overall median improvement score was 27.5 (interquartile range 10–51). No differences were observed in the total improvement score between the autoantibody‐defined groups. Overall, 62% of patients (n = 96) showed a minimal response, 38% (n = 60) achieved a moderate response, and 19% (n = 30) achieved a major response. Regarding the different levels of response, dermatomyositis‐specific autoantibodies were associated with a moderate response versus the seronegative group (reference), odds ratio 4.12 (95% confidence interval 1.2–16.5). In addition, dysphagia, time from symptom onset to diagnosis, and initial glucocorticoid dose were significant predictors of response after 1 year of follow‐up.

Conclusion

Patients with DM‐specific autoantibodies achieved better levels of response compared to other autoantibody‐defined groups. Dysphagia, a shorter time span from symptom onset to diagnosis, and intensive initial immunosuppressive treatment were associated with a higher response rate after 1 year of pharmacologic treatment from the index date, regardless of autoantibody status.

Clinical trials and novel therapeutics in dermatomyositis

INTRODUCTION

Currently, there are no proven drugs that are FDA approved for the treatment of dermatomyositis (DM), even though multiple clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate safety and efficacy of novel therapeutics in DM. The purpose of this review is to highlight the biological plausibility, existing clinical evidence as well as completed and ongoing clinical trials for various drugs in pipeline for development for use in dermatomyositis.

AREAS COVERED

The drugs with the strongest evidence have been included in this review with a focus on the mechanism of their action pertaining to the disease process, clinical studies including completed and ongoing trials. With better understanding of the underlying pathophysiologic process, there are new molecular targets that have been identified that can be targeted by these novel drugs, predominantly biologic drugs.

EXPERT OPINION

There are various drugs being evaluated in phase II/III clinical trials that hold promise in DM. At the forefront of these are immunoglobulin, Lenabasum, and Abatacept for which phase III clinical trials are ongoing. In addition, promising clinical studies are ongoing or reported for KZR-616, anti-B cell therapy, anti-interferon drugs, and Repository Corticotrophin Injection (RCI).

Muscle involvement in myasthenia gravis: Expanding the clinical spectrum of Myasthenia-Myositis association from a large cohort of patients

Myastenia-Inflammatory Myopathy (MG-IM) association has been described in less than 50 cases, as isolated reports or in few case series. In most cases, MG and IM onset occur simultaneously even if the overlapping clinical manifestations could lead to delay the diagnosis in the early stage of disease. In these cases, thymic pathology is present in more than 50% of cases. Pathological findings can be consistent of polymyositis (63%), dermatomyositis (25%) or granulomatosis (12%). Accurate clinical manifestations and severity of IM in MG, including muscle specific antibodies (MSA) and muscle MRI, have not been systematically investigated and focal or mild subclinical myositis have not been reported. We observed that focal myositis or asymptomatic CK elevation can also occur in MG. In this review we have also retrospectively re-analyzed the clinical, serological, pathological and muscle imaging data from 13 patients with MG- IM from our cohort of 441 MG patients (2,9%). Clinical onset occurred simultaneously in 10/13 patients, whereas in 2 patients the IM appeared later in MG disease course (range 10-14 years) and conversely in 1 patient MG symptoms occurred later in IM disease course (4 years). Median age at disease onset was 51 year (range 24-73 years) regardless of clinical onset (MG or IM). Median clinical follow-up was 88 months (range 31-237 months). IM was suspected by CK elevation in all patients (ranging 800-3000 UI/L at first detection) and non-fatigable muscle weakness unresponsive to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. All the patients presented mild to moderate MG symptoms. Three main categories of muscle involvement, sometimes overlapping, were recognizable: distal, proximal and subclinical myositits, leading to three main clinical groups (A,B,C) and two overlapping subgroups (A/B and B/C). Thymus pathology was present in 10/13 patients. Anti-AChR was detected in al all patients associated with anti-Titin and -RyR1 in those patients with thymoma. No MSA, nor MAA antibodies were detected. Muscle biopsy confirmed IM in all patients. In conclusion we redefined the clinical spectrum of muscle involvement in MG-IM association, which represent a continuum among 3 main clinical groups: distal, proximal and subclinical muscle involvement. Minimal muscle involvement and focal myositis could be underestimated among myasthenic patients and early aggressive immunotherapy could be required in focal group.

Correlation of PMN elastase and PMN elastase-to-neutrophil ratio with disease activity in patients with myositis

Background

Polymorphonuclear (PMN) elastase plays an important role in a variety of inflammatory disorders. Our aim was to analyse PMN elastase in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) and its association with disease activity.

Methods

PMN elastase levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serum samples obtained from 74 patients with myositis (58 with dermatomyositis [DM] and 16 with polymyositis [PM]) and 22 healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the discriminant capacity of PMN elastase level and PMN elastase-to-neutrophil ratio (ENR) in patients with active and remission myositis. The association of serum PMN elastase level and ENR with disease variables was evaluated in patients with IIMs. The disease specificity of PMN elastase level and ENR was further examined in 60 patients with other systemic autoimmune diseases.

Results

PMN elastase level and ENR were significantly higher in patients with active IIMs, DM, and PM than in patients with remission. ROC curve analysis revealed that PMN elastase level and ENR both outperformed creatine kinase (CK), the currently used laboratory marker, and strongly discriminated patients with active disease and those with remission of IIMs, DM, and PM (area under the ROC curve [AUC] 0.9, 0.9, and 0.88 for PMN elastase; AUC 0.96, 0.96, and 1.0 for ENR; AUC 0.72, 0.70, and 0.80 for CK, respectively). PMN elastase level and ENR were positively correlated with myositis disease activity assessment, CK, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. PMN elastase level and ENR were higher in the anti-PM-Scl positive myositis group than those in the anti-PM-Scl negative myositis group. Nevertheless, PMN elastase was not a specific disease marker for IIMs when compared with other autoimmune diseases.

Conclusions

PMN elastase, particularly ENR, were significantly correlated with disease activity and could serve as useful biochemical markers for evaluating the disease activity of patients with IIMs. Thus, they are potentially helpful in monitoring disease progression and guiding treatment.

Patient-Reported Outcomes in Adult Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) have considerable impact on patient symptoms and quality of life. We have reviewed the evolution of patient-centered care and use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for adults with IIM.

RECENT FINDINGS

Use of PROMs in myositis care and research is limited, although the importance of incorporation into routine practice and trials has become increasingly recognized. Several key domains/measures have been identified including the patient global assessment of disease activity, physical function as measured by the health assessment questionnaire-disability index (HAQ-DI), Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36), or the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System ® (PROMIS®) in adult IIM. Data are limited for these instruments concerning their reliability, content and construct validity, and responsiveness. Incorporation of the patient perspective into clinical care and research may be used to address the unmet/unaddressed needs of the patient living with myositis. Several ongoing projects aim to bring validated PROMs to the IIM community.

Clinical spectrums and outcomes of necrotizing autoimmune myopathy versus other idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: a multicenter case-control study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical characteristics, laboratory features, and treatment outcomes of Thai patients compared between those with necrotizing autoimmune myopathy (NAM) and those with other idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) or non-NAM.

METHODS

This multicenter case-control study included patients aged ≥ 18 years who were diagnosed with IIMs by muscle pathology, and who had relevant clinical and laboratory data, including muscle enzymes, from at least 3 follow-up visits during a 1-year period. Baseline clinical and laboratory data were recorded. Serum myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) were obtained on the date of recruitment.

RESULTS

Of the 70 included patients, 67% had NAM, and 33% had non-NAM. The mean age of patients was 50.5 ± 15.9 years, 67% were female, and the median duration of symptoms was 2 months (IQR, 1-4). History of cancer was significantly higher in non-NAM (21.7% vs. 2.1%, p = 0.01). Gottron's papules were significantly more prevalent in non-NAM (21.7% vs. 4.3%, p = 0.04). Non-NAM had a higher prevalence of anti-Mi-2a (17.4% vs. 2.1%, p = 0.04) and Mi-2b (17.4% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.01); however, the presence of other MSAs, including anti-HMGCR and anti-SRP, was similar between groups. Improvement in motor power and treatment intensification with glucocorticoid and/or immunosuppressive agents 3 times throughout the follow-up period was similar between groups (NAM 46.8% vs. non-NAM 34.8%, p = 0.34).

CONCLUSION

NAM is indistinguishable from non-NAM by clinical manifestations, serology, or laboratory findings, except that pathognomonic skin sign of Gottron's papules and anti-Mi2 are suggestive of dermatomyositis. The integration of clinical, serological, and pathological data is essential for making a diagnosis of NAM.Key Points• NAM is indistinguishable from non-NAM by clinical manifestations, serology, or laboratory findings.• The integration of clinical, serological, and pathological data is essential for making a diagnosis of NAM.

The PRINTO evidence-based proposal for glucocorticoids tapering/discontinuation in new onset juvenile dermatomyositis patients

BACKGROUND

Prednisone (PDN) in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), alone or in association with other immunosuppressive drugs, namely methotrexate (MTX) and cyclosporine (CSA), represents the first-line treatment option for new onset JDM patients. No clear evidence based guidelines are actually available to standardize the tapering and discontinuation of glucocorticoids (GC) in JDM. Aim of our study was to provide an evidence-based proposal for GC tapering/discontinuation in new onset juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), and to identify predictors of clinical remission and GC discontinuation.

METHODS

New onset JDM children were randomized to receive either PDN alone or in combination with methotrexate (MTX) or cyclosporine (CSA). In order to derive steroid tapering indications, PRINTO/ACR/EULAR JDM core set measures (CSM) and their median absolute and relative percent changes over time were compared in 3 groups. Group 1 included those in clinical remission who discontinued PDN, with no major therapeutic changes (MTC) (reference group) and was compared with those who did not achieve clinical remission, without or with MTC (Group 2 and 3, respectively). A logistic regression model identified predictors of clinical remission with PDN discontinuation.

RESULTS

Based on the median change in the CSM of 30/139 children in Group 1, after 3 pulses of methyl-prednisolone, GC could be tapered from 2 to 1 mg/kg/day in the first two months from onset if any of the CSM decreased by 50-94%, and from 1 to 0.2 mg/kg/day in the following 4 months if any CSM further decreased by 8-68%, followed by discontinuation in the ensuing 18 months. The achievement of PRINTO JDM 50-70-90 response after 2 months of treatment (ORs range 4.5-6.9), an age at onset > 9 years (OR 4.6) and the combination therapy PDN + MTX (OR 3.6) increase the probability of achieving clinical remission (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first evidence-based proposal for glucocorticoid tapering/discontinuation based on the change in JDM CSM of disease activity.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Trial full title: Five-Year Single-Blind, Phase III Effectiveness Randomized Actively Controlled Clinical Trial in New Onset Juvenile Dermatomyositis: Prednisone versus Prednisone plus Cyclosporine A versus Prednisone plus Methotrexate. EUDRACT registration number: 2005-003956-37 .

CLINICAL TRIAL

gov is NCT00323960 . Registered on 17 August 2005.

Mycophenolate mofetil treatment with or without a calcineurin inhibitor in resistant inflammatory myopathy

To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) with or without calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) in patients with inflammatory myopathy taking prednisolone, but refractory to conventional immunosuppressive therapy. The records of patients with inflammatory myopathy who had previously failed treatment with at least one immunosuppressant were retrospectively evaluated. We selected patients treated with MMF and divided them into two groups depending on whether or not there was concomitant use of CNIs. We investigated the efficacy by changes in creatine kinase (CK) levels, forced vital capacity (%FVC), prednisolone dose, and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) progression was defined by more than 10% decline of %FVC from baseline. We identified 19 patients on MMF treatment. There were seven (36.8%) patients on MMF and CNIs, including five on cyclosporine and two on tacrolimus. At baseline, no significant difference was seen in the prevalence of ILD between patients taking or not taking CNIs (85.7% vs. 75.0%, P = 0.68). Improvement in CK was seen in patients treated with CNIs (P = 0.04) but not in those without (P = 0.39). No significant improvement in %FVC and HRCT findings were found in patients with ILD in either group, and there were no differences in death or ILD progression. The combination of CNIs and MMF might be more effective for decreasing CK levels than MMF alone. Neither treatment arm had a beneficial effect on ILD over a variable observation period.

Current Classification and Management of Inflammatory Myopathies

Inflammatory disorders of the skeletal muscle include polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), (immune mediated) necrotizing myopathy (NM), overlap syndrome with myositis (overlap myositis, OM) including anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS), and inclusion body myositis (IBM). Whereas DM occurs in children and adults, all other forms of myositis mostly develop in middle aged individuals. Apart from a slowly progressive, chronic disease course in IBM, patients with myositis typically present with a subacute onset of weakness of arms and legs, often associated with pain and clearly elevated creatine kinase in the serum. PM, DM and most patients with NM and OM usually respond to immunosuppressive therapy, whereas IBM is largely refractory to treatment. The diagnosis of myositis requires careful and combinatorial assessment of (1) clinical symptoms including pattern of weakness and paraclinical tests such as MRI of the muscle and electromyography (EMG), (2) broad analysis of auto-antibodies associated with myositis, and (3) detailed histopathological work-up of a skeletal muscle biopsy. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current classification, diagnostic pathway, treatment regimen and pathomechanistic understanding of myositis.

Update on outcome assessment in myositis

The adult and juvenile myositis syndromes, commonly referred to collectively as idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), are systemic autoimmune diseases with the hallmarks of muscle weakness and inflammation. Validated, well-standardized measures to assess disease activity, known as core set measures, were developed by international networks of myositis researchers for use in clinical trials. Composite response criteria using weighted changes in the core set measures of disease activity were developed and validated for adult and juvenile patients with dermatomyositis and adult patients with polymyositis, with different thresholds for minimal, moderate and major improvement in adults and juveniles. Additional measures of muscle strength and function are being validated to improve content validity and sensitivity to change. A health-related quality of life measure, which incorporates patient input, is being developed for adult patients with IIM. Disease state criteria, including criteria for inactive disease and remission, are being used as secondary end points in clinical trials. MRI of muscle and immunological biomarkers are promising approaches to discriminate between disease activity and damage and might provide much-needed objective outcome measures. These advances in the assessment of outcomes for myositis treatment, along with collaborations between international networks, should facilitate further development of new therapies for patients with IIM.

Advances in biomarkers for dermatomyositis

Dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) are heterogeneous complex autoimmune diseases involving muscle damage. Patients with DM and PM display a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and serological biomarkers, which may mislead and delay the proper diagnosis. Therefore, specific biomarkers or indicators for diagnosing DM and PM and monitoring disease activity are essential. Significant progress has been made through identifying novel serological biomarkers for DM and PM in recent years. Our aim is to focus on novel biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring disease activity in DM and PM to highlight their predictive value and applicability in clinical practice.

Efficacy and safety of adrenocorticotropic hormone gel in refractory dermatomyositis and polymyositis

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy, safety, tolerability and steroid-sparing effect of repository corticotropin injection (RCI), in an open-label clinical trial, in refractory adult polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM).

Methods

Adults with refractory PM and DM were enrolled by two centres. Inclusion criteria included refractory disease defined as failing glucocorticoid and/or ≥1 immunosuppressive agent, as well as active disease defined as significant muscle weakness and >2 additional abnormal core set measures (CSMs) or a cutaneous 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale score of ≥3 cm and at least three other abnormal CSMs. All patients received RCI of 80 units subcutaneously twice weekly for 24 weeks. The primary end point for the trial was the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies definition of improvement. Secondary end points included safety, tolerability, steroid-sparing as well as the 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism myositis response criteria (EULAR)

Results

Ten of the 11 enrolled subjects (6 DM, 4 PM) completed the study. Seven of 10 met the primary end point of efficacy at a median of 8 weeks. There was a significant decrease in prednisone dose from baseline to conclusion (18.5 (15.7) vs 2.3 (3.2); P<0.01). Most individual CSMs improved at week 24 compared with the baseline, with the muscle strength improving by >10% and the physician global by >40%. RCI was considered safe and tolerable. No patient developed significant weight gain or an increase of haemoglobin A1c or cushingoid features.

Conclusion

Treatment with RCI was effective in 70% of patients, safe and tolerable, and led to a steroid dose reduction in patients with adult myositis refractory to glucocorticoid and traditional immunosuppressive drugs.

Trial registration number

NCT01906372; Results.

Pharmacological management of dermatomyositis

INTRODUCTION

Dermatomyositis is a rare heterogeneous systemic autoimmune disease with multiple organ involvement which can result in significant disability and mortality. Despite the lack of placebo-controlled trials, glucocorticoids are considered to be the mainstay of initial management. Treatment strategies are mainly based on uncontrolled studies, evidence based guidelines for treatments do not exist. Areas covered: This review provides an overview of the currently available pharmacological treatments in the field of dermatomyositis including conventional immunosuppressants, biologics and topical agents. The role of antibodies in different treatment responses of dermatomyositis related clinicoserological syndromes is also discussed. A PubMed search was performed in order to find relevant literature for this review. Expert commentary: Early recognition and intervention is essential to ameliorate disease outcome. Determination of antibodies provide a useful key in diagnosis, clinical manifestations, malignancy, prognosis, and treatment response and may lead to wider acceptance of personalized medicine. Corticosteroids with adjunctive steroid-sparing immunosuppressive therapies are recommended to treat disease activity, prevent mortality, and reduce long-term disability. Combinations of second-line therapies or newer third-line therapies are used in severe, refractory, or corticosteroid-dependent diseases. Further research is required to assess the role of new therapies.

2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Criteria for Minimal, Moderate, and Major Clinical Response in Juvenile Dermatomyositis: An International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation Collaborative Initiative

OBJECTIVE

To develop response criteria for juvenile dermatomyositis (DM).

METHODS

We analyzed the performance of 312 definitions that used core set measures from either the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) or the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO) and were derived from natural history data and a conjoint analysis survey. They were further validated using data from the PRINTO trial of prednisone alone compared to prednisone with methotrexate or cyclosporine and the Rituximab in Myositis (RIM) trial. At a consensus conference, experts considered 14 top candidate criteria based on their performance characteristics and clinical face validity, using nominal group technique.

RESULTS

Consensus was reached for a conjoint analysis-based continuous model with a total improvement score of 0-100, using absolute percent change in core set measures of minimal (≥30), moderate (≥45), and major (≥70) improvement. The same criteria were chosen for adult DM/polymyositis, with differing thresholds for improvement. The sensitivity and specificity were 89% and 91-98% for minimal improvement, 92-94% and 94-99% for moderate improvement, and 91-98% and 85-86% for major improvement, respectively, in juvenile DM patient cohorts using the IMACS and PRINTO core set measures. These criteria were validated in the PRINTO trial for differentiating between treatment arms for minimal and moderate improvement (P = 0.009-0.057) and in the RIM trial for significantly differentiating the physician's rating for improvement (P < 0.006).

CONCLUSION

The response criteria for juvenile DM consisted of a conjoint analysis-based model using a continuous improvement score based on absolute percent change in core set measures, with thresholds for minimal, moderate, and major improvement.

2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Criteria for Minimal, Moderate, and Major Clinical Response in Juvenile Dermatomyositis: An International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation Collaborative Initiative

To develop response criteria for juvenile dermatomyositis (DM). We analysed the performance of 312 definitions that used core set measures from either the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) or the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO) and were derived from natural history data and a conjoint analysis survey. They were further validated using data from the PRINTO trial of prednisone alone compared to prednisone with methotrexate or cyclosporine and the Rituximab in Myositis (RIM) trial. At a consensus conference, experts considered 14 top candidate criteria based on their performance characteristics and clinical face validity, using nominal group technique. Consensus was reached for a conjoint analysis-based continuous model with a total improvement score of 0-100, using absolute per cent change in core set measures of minimal (≥30), moderate (≥45), and major (≥70) improvement. The same criteria were chosen for adult DM/polymyositis, with differing thresholds for improvement. The sensitivity and specificity were 89% and 91-98% for minimal improvement, 92-94% and 94-99% for moderate improvement, and 91-98% and 85-86% for major improvement, respectively, in juvenile DM patient cohorts using the IMACS and PRINTO core set measures. These criteria were validated in the PRINTO trial for differentiating between treatment arms for minimal and moderate improvement (p=0.009-0.057) and in the RIM trial for significantly differentiating the physician's rating for improvement (p<0.006). The response criteria for juvenile DM consisted of a conjoint analysis-based model using a continuous improvement score based on absolute per cent change in core set measures, with thresholds for minimal, moderate, and major improvement.

2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Criteria for Minimal, Moderate, and Major Clinical Response in Adult Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis: An International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation Collaborative Initiative

OBJECTIVE

To develop response criteria for adult dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM).

METHODS

Expert surveys, logistic regression, and conjoint analysis were used to develop 287 definitions using core set measures. Myositis experts rated greater improvement among multiple pairwise scenarios in conjoint analysis surveys, where different levels of improvement in 2 core set measures were presented. The PAPRIKA (Potentially All Pairwise Rankings of All Possible Alternatives) method determined the relative weights of core set measures and conjoint analysis definitions. The performance characteristics of the definitions were evaluated on patient profiles using expert consensus (gold standard) and were validated using data from a clinical trial. The nominal group technique was used to reach consensus.

RESULTS

Consensus was reached for a conjoint analysis-based continuous model using absolute percent change in core set measures (physician, patient, and extramuscular global activity, muscle strength, Health Assessment Questionnaire, and muscle enzyme levels). A total improvement score (range 0-100), determined by summing scores for each core set measure, was based on improvement in and relative weight of each core set measure. Thresholds for minimal, moderate, and major improvement were ≥20, ≥40, and ≥60 points in the total improvement score. The same criteria were chosen for juvenile DM, with different improvement thresholds. Sensitivity and specificity in DM/PM patient cohorts were 85% and 92%, 90% and 96%, and 92% and 98% for minimal, moderate, and major improvement, respectively. Definitions were validated in the clinical trial analysis for differentiating the physician rating of improvement (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The response criteria for adult DM/PM consisted of the conjoint analysis model based on absolute percent change in 6 core set measures, with thresholds for minimal, moderate, and major improvement.