title: Myositis specific and associated autoantibodies in the diagnosis and management of juvenile and adult idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.
abstract: The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are a heterogeneous group of disorders affecting both adults and children. Clinical features can include muscle weakness, skin disease and internal organ involvement. A large number of autoantibodies, directed against cytoplasmic or nuclear components, can now be identified in these patients and specific clinic-serological syndromes have been described. Laboratory testing to identify many of these autoantibodies is becoming easier, and here we discuss the clinical utility of autoantibodies in myositis both in terms of facilitating diagnosis, predicting disease course and informing management decisions.
authors.affiliation: Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Upper Borough Walls, Bath, BA1 1RL, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Tansley
authors.forename: Neil J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: McHugh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000276:immunology*; D009220:Myositis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies