A case of amyopathic dermatomyositis with acute interstitial pneumonia (DAD pattern)

Abstract

A 61-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of edematous erythema on his upper eyelids and dry cough. No subjective nor objective findings suggestive of skeletal muscle involvement, such as muscle weakness and elevated levels of aldolase and creatine Phosphokinase were noted. Chest high-resolution computed tomography revealed a ground glass opacity and consolidation of his lower lung. Skin biopsy findings were compatible with dermatomyositis. Therefore, he was diagnosed as amyopathic dermatomyositis (ADM) with acute interstitial pneumonia and treatment with steroid pulse therapy was started. Since histological evaluation showed diffuse alveolar damage during the initial treatment, the treatment was changed into the combination therapy of prednisolone and cyclosporine. However, his acute interstitial pneumonia did not respond to this treatment and passed away by aggravation of a breathing state and concurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Japanese patients with ADM have been shown to be more frequently associated with intractable acute interstitial pneumonia than Caucasian patients, suggesting that the racial difference influences the occurrence of acute interstitial pneumonia in ADM. Since autoantibodies specific for ADM have not been detected, we performed immunoprecipitcation analysis using 35S methionine-labeled K562 cells to identify them. His sera immunoprecipated a polypeptide of 140 kDa. The 140 kDa polypeptide might be one of autoantibodies specific for ADM with acute interstitial pneumonia, although future analysis using a larger number of patients with ADM will be required to confirm this result. © 2004, The Japan Society for Clinical Immunology. All rights reserved.