A randomised, open-label trial to assess the optimal treatment strategy in early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: the UPSIDE study protocol.

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic, autoimmune connective tissue disease associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc). Currently, there are several treatments available in early dcSSc that aim to change the disease course, including immunosuppressive agents and autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). HSCT has been adopted in international guidelines and is offered in current clinical care.

Performance of the new EULAR/ACR classification criteria for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) in a large monocentric IIM cohort.

Background: In 2017, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published new classification criteria for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM).

Objectives: To [1] assess the performance of the EULAR/ACR criteria in a monocentric cohort of consecutive patients with IIM, compare them with the Bohan and Peter (BP) criteria, and with the physician's diagnosis; and [2] evaluate the effect of including the presence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) as variable in the criteria.

Methods: 439 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of IIM followed at the Rheumatology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden were enrolled.

Cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase 1A autoantibody profile and clinical characteristics in inclusion body myositis.

Objectives: Autoantibodies directed against cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase 1A have been identified in many patients with inclusion body myositis. This retrospective study investigated the association between anticytosolic 5'-nucleotidase 1A antibody status and clinical, serological and histopathological features to explore the utility of this antibody to identify inclusion body myositis subgroups and to predict prognosis.

Materials And Methods: Data from various European inclusion body myositis registries were pooled.

Autoantibodies to cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase 1A in inclusion body myositis.

Objective: Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is an inflammatory myopathy characterized by both degenerative and autoimmune features. In contrast to other inflammatory myopathies, myositis-specific autoantibodies had not been found in sIBM patients until recently. We used human skeletal muscle extracts as a source of antigens to detect autoantibodies in sIBM and to characterize the corresponding antigen.