Juvenile dermatomyositis: immunopathogenesis, role of myositis-specific autoantibodies, and review of rituximab use. Pediatr Dermatol 2011;28(4):357-67
Date
07/29/2011Pubmed ID
21793879DOI
10.1111/j.1525-1470.2011.01501.xScopus ID
2-s2.0-79960803762 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 38 CitationsAbstract
Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is an autoimmune disease of the skin and muscle that affects children. The etiology is poorly understood, but genetic susceptibility, environmental triggers, and abnormal immune responses are each thought to play a part. T cells have traditionally been implicated in the immunopathogenesis of JDM, but dendritic cells, B cells, and microchimerism are increasingly associated. Additionally, myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSA) can be present in the sera of affected patients and may correlate with distinct clinical phenotypes. Given the role of humoral immunity and MSA, there has been recent interest in the use of rituximab to treat JDM. Early results are mixed, but it is hoped that a prospective clinical trial will shed light on the issue in the near future.
Author List
Chiu YE, Co DOAuthor
Yvonne E. Chiu MD Vice Chair, Professor in the Dermatology department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Amino Acyl-tRNA SynthetasesAnimals
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
Autoantibodies
B-Lymphocytes
Child
Chimerism
Clinical Trials as Topic
Dendritic Cells
Dermatomyositis
Female
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Humans
Immunologic Factors
Male
Mice
Rituximab
Signal Recognition Particle
T-Lymphocytes
Transcription Factors