Highlights from the American College of Rheumatology 2008 Annual Meeting Oct 26, 2008
The Type -1 Interferon signature (IFN) is a biomarker in dermatomyositis. The study identified a strong pattern that confirms the combination of these two biomarkers, IL-17 pathway and IFN signature, are a valid indicator of the progress of dermatomyositis ... Dermatomyositis is an autoimmune disease that weakens the muscles and causes muscle and joint pain as well as reddish eruptions on the face, neck and upper torso. (EurekAlert!)
Support Group Meetings Oct 20, 2008
Includes those with dermatomyositis, polymyositis, inclusion body myositis and juvenile myositis. (904) 821-9858 or e-mail l.thames@comcast. (Florida Times-Union)
Malignant Lymphoma and Autoimmune D... Sep 8, 2008
Malignant Lymphoma and Autoimmune Disease: Increased Risk in Certain Conditions. Malignant Lymphoma and Autoimmune Disease. (Suite101.com)
Support Groups Aug 25, 2008
Includes those with dermatomyositis, polymyositis, inclusion body myositis and juvenile myositis. The next meeting is Sept. 9 with Kenneth Hentschel. (Florida Times-Union)
The Antiinflammatory IgG Jul 17, 2008
Initially used in treating primary and secondary immune deficiencies, intravenous immune globulin is increasingly used for the treatment of diverse autoimmune and systemic inflammatory diseases including immune thrombocytopenia, Guillain Barr; syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, myasthenia gravis, dermatomyositis, and Kawasaki's syndrome. Several non mutually exclusive mechanisms have been proposed to explain the beneficial effects of intravenous immune globulin in... (New England Journal of Medicine)
Inflammatory Myopathies Jun 27, 2008
While polymyositis and dermatomyositis are routinely associated with significant increases in CK, inclusion body myositis does not necessarily associate with any change in CK levels in the blood. Characteristics of Dermatomyositis ... As the name suggests, dermatomyositis (DM) also involves the skin (from derm ). (Suite101.com)
State track meet about the roar of the crowd and the ecstasy of competition May 31, 2008
The family particularly was proud of the high jumper because she made it to the state meet after two years of not qualifying or even participating in all of the track meets because of dermatomyositis, a disease that weakened her muscles. It was frustrating, because I could barely run around the track, Patske said of her sophomore and junior year. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
Photo by Andrew Moore/Daily Journal Catherine Ritch Guess, author of dozens of books and musician for the United Methodist Church, spoke at Hamlet’s public library Tuesday. Guess spent decades playing music before penning her first book. “Every time anyone told me I should write, I just laughed,” she said. Apr 9, 2008
In early 2002 she was hospitalized due to dermatomyositis, a rare disease characterized by inflammation of the muscles and the skin. The disease is often linked with problems within the immune system, and sometimes is indicative of cancer. (Rockingham Daily Journal, NC)
Lymphoma Drug Used To Treat Skin Disorders Dec 18, 2007
The study reviewed the off-label uses of rituximab in dermatology and found that it successfully treated patients with various kinds of blistering skin disease, including pemphigus vulgaris, dermatomyositis, and paraneoplastic pemphigus. Newer, safer treatments are being studied for serious dermatologic disorders, and rituximab s efficacy has been shown in a variety of dangerous skin problems. (Science Daily)
Massive microRNA scan uncovers leads to treating muscle degeneration Oct 18, 2007
The disorders include the muscular dystrophies (Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Becker muscular dystrophy, limb girdle muscular dystrophies, Miyoshi myopathy, and fascioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy); the congenital myopathies (nemaline myopathy); and the inflammatory myopathies (polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and inclusion body myositis). While past studies have linked them with an increasing number of genes, it's still largely unknown how these genes cause muscle weakness and wasting, and,... (EurekAlert!)
FirstPerson: You remember Princess Diana Aug 30, 2007
On August 31, 1997, my husband was in the Emergency Room at University Medical Center, Tucson, AZ. At that time he was diagnosed with Dermatomyositis. It was in the waiting room that I heard the tragic news on TV of Princess Diana and went in to tell my husband. (MSNBC -- News)
Pitt to lead study of rare autoimmune disorder Aug 14, 2007
The study will evaluate the effectiveness of a drug called rituximab in adults and children diagnosed with dermatomyositis (a disease that causes muscle weakness and rash) and adults diagnosed with polymyositis, which is not associated with a rash. The study doctors want to know whether rituximab improves symptoms of these diseases. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
A Fairy Godmother With A Paintbrush Jun 16, 2007
"I have a disease called juvenile dermatomyositis, and I cannot spell it so please don't ask me to, Shelby said. In short it severely weakens your muscles and attacks your immune system. A case of the flu could be fatal. And yet this 19-year-old Memphis girl who loves to paint says she's actually glad she has this potentially fatal disease because, she says, it's given her a reason for living. Her story began five years ago, when life wasn't such a pretty picture, CBS News correspondent... (CBS News)
Timeline of the life of William C. France Jun 5, 2007
These treatments cause France to develop dermatomyositis, a muscular-system malady ... However his dermatomyositis reappears during the summer and he undergoes daily physical therapy. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Statins and Autoimmune Diseases Apr 13, 2007
Of the 28 published cases, lupus conditions were reported in 13 cases, dermatomyositis and polymyositis in 14 cases, autoimmune hepatitis with SLE in two cases, and lichen planus pemphigoides in one case ... P Zuech, C Pauwels, Prastatin-induced dermatomyositis, Rev Med Interne, Nov 2005; 26(11):897-902. (Suite101.com)
An elusive diagnosis with a risk of cancer Mar 29, 2007
One form, dermatomyositis, is often accompanied by a skin rash ... Researchers there are especially intrigued by the high rate of cancer associated with dermatomyositis ... Recent studies have quantified the risk, finding that dermatomyositis patients face a threefold risk of cancer, while patients with polymyositis face a 40 percent increase in risk, said Dr. Stuart M. Levine, co-director of the Hopkins vasculitis center and an author of a recent paper on the subject. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Possible Relationship Between Myopathies And Celiac Disease Feb 26, 2007
This group of diseases includes polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and inclusion-body myositis. Little is known about the cause and the etiopathogenic mechanisms of these myopathies, but it is believed to be an abnormal immune response by our bodies, which identify body parts as alien. (Science Daily)
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease Feb 25, 2007
In the United States, MCTD is seen in about 3-5 out of 100,000 persons, and it s more prevalent than dermatomyositis and less prevalent than SLE. Internationally, MCTD has a reported prevalence of 2. 7 cases per 100,000 population. (Suite101.com)
Connective Tissue Disorders Feb 24, 2007
Collagen Disorders and Their Causes. Up until the late 70 s, most systemic or rheumatological autoimmune diseases were referred to as connective tissue diseases or collagen diseases. (Suite101.com)
Discovery May Lead To Novel Treatments For Autoimmune And Chronic Inflammatory Diseases Jan 30, 2007
For years, doctors have used IVIG to treat patients with autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases, such as dermatomyositis, Kawasaki disease, multiple sclerosis, lupus, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, but just how the therapy works has remained a mystery. Some researchers have shown that IVIG works, in part, by activating a receptor known as Fc3RIIb, which then suppresses auto-antibody-mediated inflammation. (Science Daily)
