title: Antibodies in juvenile-onset myositis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Juvenile-onset myositis is a highly heterogeneous disease. Myositis-specific and associated autoantibodies provide a potential means of subdividing patients into clinically homogenous subgroups. Given the increasing availability of autoantibody testing, this review explores the phenotypes associated with different autoantibodies in juvenile-onset myositis and the potential clinical utility of autoantibody testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Autoantibodies can be identified in 60-70% of children with myositis and the recent discovery of novel myositis-associated autoantibodies in adult patients suggests this may increase in the near future. Detailed phenotype descriptions are now known for several autoantibodies commonly identified in juvenile-onset disease. Whilst there is insufficient evidence to recommend a differential treatment approach based on autoantibody status, it is becoming increasingly clear that some autoantibody subgroups are often treatment resistant and may benefit from a more aggressive approach.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The validation of nonspecialised methods for myositis-specific autoantibody detection should lead to more widely available testing. In juvenile-onset disease, this will provide detailed prognostic information and in the future may also influence approach.
authors.affiliation: Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Upper Borough Walls, Bath, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Tansley
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D009220:Myositis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers