Clinical and histological findings associated with autoantibodies detected by RNA immunoprecipitation in inflammatory myopathies

Of 207 adult patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, detection of autoantibodies by RNA immunoprecipitation showed that 99 patients (48%) were antibody-positive. We divided these 99 into five subgroups: anti-signal recognition particle (SRP), anti-aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase, anti-Ku, anti-U1RNP, and anti-SSA/B. Younger age at onset, severe weakness, muscle atrophy, elevated creatine kinase, and necrosis in muscle fibers without inflammatory cell infiltration were found significantly more frequently among the patients with anti-SRP antibodies (n = 41) compared to the antibody-negative patients (n = 108). Autoantibody detection by RNA immunoprecipitation can provide useful information associated with clinical and histological findings.