Distinctive cutaneous and systemic features associated with specific antimyositis antibodies in adults with dermatomyositis: a prospective multicentric study of 117 patients.

Background: Identification of myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) for dermatomyositis (DM) could allow the characterization of an antibody-associated clinical phenotype.

Objective: We sought to define the clinical phenotype of DM and the risk of cancer, interstitial lung disease (ILD) and calcinosis based on MSA.

Methods: A 3.

Dermatomyositis: factors predicting relapse.

Background: The course of dermatomyositis (DM) can be chronic with relapses, which are associated with major morbidity.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify presentation features that predict DM relapses.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data of patients with DM recorded from 1990 to 2011, including muscle biopsy results.

Prospective evaluation of frequency of signs of systemic sclerosis in 76 patients with morphea.

Objectives: Some authors consider that morphoea and systemic sclerosis (SSc) could be part of the same disease spectrum. The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence of signs indicative of SSc in a cohort of patients with morphoea.

Methods: This is a prospective multi-centre study performed in four French academic dermatology departments: 76 patients with morphoea and 101 age- and sex-matched controls, who underwent complete clinical examination, were enrolled.

First-line treatment of pemphigus vulgaris with a combination of rituximab and high-potency topical corticosteroids.

Importance: The main component of the first-line treatment of pemphigus vulgaris is high doses of systemic corticosteroids, but adverse effects of these drugs are frequent and sometimes severe. Rituximab has shown effectiveness as a corticosteroid-sparing agent or in case of relapse. To our knowledge, the effectiveness of rituximab as a first-line treatment without systemic corticosteroids has not been evaluated.