Characteristics of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy in Southern China, a
multi-center clinical observational study
Abstract
Aims: The objective of this study is to describe the disease
characteristics of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM)
in the Southern China. Method: The study included patients who were
admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of
Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan Hospital of Chinese Medicine, and
Jiangmen Wuyi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital between 2012 and
2023 and were diagnosed with IIM. Demographic, clinical data, and
treatment plans were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 237
patients were included in the study. Women accounted for 65% of the
cases, with an average age of 49±16.19 years and a mean follow-up period
of 2.48±5.02 years. The main clinical manifestations were fatigue
(67.9%), rash (46.0%), and myalgia (45.6%). Other clinical
manifestations were interstitial lung disease (ILD, 33.8%), arthralgia
(27.0%), heart valve disease (15.2%). The main complications included
hypertension (15.2%), hyperlipidemia (13.1%), and diabetes (11.4%).
21.7% had co-infections, and 5.9% had co-occurring tumors.
Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) was detected in 55.7%. The most frequent
myositis-specific antibodies (MSA) were anti-Jo-1 (13.1%). Elevated
creatine kinase (CK) accounted for 65%. The most used medications were
glucocorticoids (94.5%), hydroxychloroquine (29.5%), and methotrexate
(27.8%). Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive description of
the characteristics of IIM in the Southern China. The findings serve as
a basis for future clinical research and the development of treatment
strategies for IIM.