Cancer-Associated Myositis in the Presence of Anti-Jo1 Autoantibodies and the Antisynthetase Syndrome

DOMINIC LEGAULT, JOHN McDERMOTT, ANA MARIA CROUS-TSANACLIS, and GILLES BOIRE

ABSTRACT.

We describe 3 patients with inflammatory myositis in association with a neoplasm whose serum also contained anti-Jo1 antibodies, one of which presented characteristic features of the antisynthetase syndrome. No patient had a rash, and muscle biopsy was suggestive of polymyositis in all 3. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of polymyositis in the single patient with sufficient tissue available. Our patients remind us that the presence of antisynthetase antibodies (and even antisynthetase syndrome) in a patient with inflammatory myositis does not preclude the diagnosis of cancer-associated myositis. (J Rheumatol 2008;35:169-71)

Key Indexing Terms:

MYOSITIS
AUTOANTIBODIES
NEOPLASMS
BIOPSY
MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX

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From the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke; and Lakeshore General Hospital, Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada.

D. Legault, BSc, Medical Student, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke; J. McDermott, MD, Neurologist, Lakeshore General Hospital; A.M. Crous-Tsanaclis, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology; G. Boire, MD, MSc, Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke.

Address reprint requests to Dr. G. Boire, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, 3001 – 12th Avenue North, Room 3858, Sherbrooke, Québec J1H 5N4, Canada.

Accepted for publication August 22, 2007.

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