title: Deciphering the clinical presentations, pathogenesis, and treatment of the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.
abstract: The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies or myositis syndromes (the most common forms are polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and inclusion body myositis) are systemic autoimmune diseases defined by chronic muscle weakness and inflammation of unknown etiology and result in significant morbidity and mortality. Research suggests that categorizing heterogeneous myositis syndromes into mutually exclusive and stable phenotypes by using clinical and immune response features is useful for predicting clinical signs and symptoms, associated genetic and environmental risk factors, and responses to therapy and prognosis. Knowledge of myositis phenotypes should enhance clinicians' ability to recognize and manage these rare disorders.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Autoimmunity Group, Program of Clinical Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. riderl@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Lisa G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Rider
authors.forename: Frederick W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009220:Myositis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D010641:Phenotype; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents