View clinical trials related to Dermatomyositis.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of an active rehabilitation program on disability and quality of life of patients affected by dermatomyositis and polymyositis.
The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of abatacept in patients with Dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) refractory to conventional treatment using a randomised trial design with delayed start in one arm. Abatacept will be administered intravenously to participants at a dose based on body weight at the screening visit followed by six follow-up treatments (Active treatment arm). Abatacept will also be administered intravenously to participants at a dose based on body weight starting at 3 months followed by six follow-up treatments (Delayed-onset treatment arm). The International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) preliminary definition of improvement (DOI) will be used for assessment.
Background: - Like other complex diseases, autoimmune diseases are the result of numerous causes, including genetic and environmental factors. Some researchers believe that people who are susceptible to autoimmune disorders develop them when the body reacts to environmental or other factors by creating white blood cells that attack the body s own tissues, which then progresses to autoimmune diseases. These immune-triggered disorders can overlap with one another to some extent, but most autoimmune diseases have certain distinct triggers. - The autoimmune disorder myositis weakens the muscles and may cause other health problems. Environmental exposures associated with myositis include ultraviolet radiation, stressful life events and muscle overexertion, collagen implants, infections such as retroviruses and streptococci bacteria, and certain drugs and chemicals. Some individuals with myositis also produce proteins in the blood called autoantibodies that react with certain parts of the person s own cells, called synthetases, which are involved in making new proteins. A syndrome called the anti-synthetase syndrome, which includes myositis and lung disease, is associated with having the anti-synthetase autoantibodies. Researchers are interested in studying differences in environmental exposures in individuals with myositis. This study is being conducted to determine if persons with the anti-synthetase syndrome have had different environmental exposures before disease onset compared with other patients with myositis who do not have this syndrome and also compared with healthy volunteers. Objectives: - To determine whether selected infectious and noninfectious environmental exposures are more common in individuals who have myositis with the anti-synthetase syndrome, compared with healthy volunteers. Eligibility: - Individuals who have been diagnosed with myositis (with or without anti-synthetase autoantibodies), and healthy volunteers without autoimmune disorders. Design: - Participants will be screened with a full medical history and physical examination, and will provide blood, urine and house dust samples. - Participants will complete questionnaires about their medical history and the types of exposures they have had at work, at home, and elsewhere. Participants who have myositis will also be asked about certain infections, heavy exercise or physical exertion, sun exposure, tobacco and alcohol use, and stressful events prior to being diagnosed with the disease. Healthy volunteers will be asked about the same exposures before the date of diagnosis of disease of the myositis subject to which they have been matched. - Participants will receive a kit that contains instructions and a filter to be put onto their vacuum cleaner to collect house dust in the bedroom. This dust will be kept for possible future analyses of infectious or toxic agents based on the other results from the study. - Individuals with myositis will have other tests as clinically indicated, including lung function tests and imaging studies.
Creatine supplementation may improve strength, muscle mass, bone mass and muscle function in healthy and elderly people. The investigators speculate that creatine supplementation could have therapeutic effects in pediatric rheumatic (i.e., juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus and juvenile dermatomyositis) patients who usually present muscle weakness, muscle wasting and bone mass loss.
Polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM) and inclusion body myositis (IBM)belong to a group of inflammatory muscle disorders, of unknown cause, that are characterised by skeletal muscle inflammation and progressive muscular weakness, which can be debilitating and chronic in nature (occasionally fatal). The current treatment options for these conditions are steroids and various other immunosuppressive drugs. However, these are usually only partially effective at reducing symptoms, and their toxic side effects also limit their usefulness. In order to develop more specific treatments for myositis in the future (and therefore more effective), it is important to understand the exact mechanisms that cause the disease in the first instance. In other similar inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus (SLE), it is known that changes to the Human Leukocyte Antigen(HLA), as well as certain inflammatory cytokines, are involved in both the development and expression of the disease. As many of the inflammatory mechanisms that cause damage in PM, DM and IBM are similar to those in RA and SLE, it seems likely that similar genetic factors will also be involved in the development and expression of PM, DM and IBM. In order to understand the genetic aspects / causes of myositis, and ultimately develop more effective treatment therapies in the future, patients with PM, DM or IBM, will be asked to give 20 mls of blood. These blood samples, along with the patient's clinical details, will then be sent to the Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research (CIGMR), at The University of Manchester, where all of the genetic analyses will take place. By understanding the genetic cause of the disease, it should be possible to design specific drugs for treating the condition in the future.
To investigate the effect of the interleukin-1 (IL-1) blocking agent, anakinra, in patients with treatment-resistant inflammatory myopathies. Patients and methods: Fifteen patients with refractory polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), or inclusion body myositis (IBM) were treated with 100 mg anakinra subcutaneously per day during 12 months. Outcome measures included myositis disease activity score with improvement defined according to The International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) and for muscle performance the functional index of myositis (FI). In addition repeat muscle biopsies were performed
The prognosis of rheumatic diseases has improved considerably with development of therapy. However, infections are considered the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in this group of patients. One of the ways to prevent such complications is vaccination. In 2009, a new pandemic strain of influenza virus (A/H1N1/2009) has emerged raising major concerns for public health. Patients under immunosuppressive therapy have indication for immunization against influenza virus H1N1. There are, however, concerns about possibility of reactivation of autoimmune diseases, determine adverse events and insufficient immunogenicity in these patients. The lack of studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of the vaccine against influenza A(H1N1)/2009 in these rheumatic patients led to the development of this research. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the humoral response and safety of the vaccine virus A(H1N1)/2009 in immunosuppressed patients with rheumatic diseases compared to healthy controls. We have recruited 400 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 350 with spondyloarthritis, 1000 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 150 with dermatomyositis (DM), 100 with mixed connective tissue disease, 150 with systemic vasculitis, 250 with systemic sclerosis (SSc) , 100 with Sjögren's syndrome, 100 with antiphospholipid syndrome, 100 patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, 80 with juvenile SLE, and 80 with juvenile DM, followed at our Rheumatology Outpatient Division and Unit Pediatric Rheumatology Children's Institute, HC-FMUSP. The control group was recruited were 200 healthy employees of ICHC-FMUSP. Informed consent was obtained from all participants and the study was approved by the Local Ethical Committee. All subjects were vaccinated against influenza virus A/(H1N1)/2009 (vaccine approved and supplied by Instituto Butantan-São Paulo). Blood samples was collected to measure levels of antibodies inhibiting hemagglutination by influenza virus A (H1N1)/2009 immediately prior to vaccination and 21 to 28 days after vaccination., Participants fulfilled a questionnaire on the immediate side effects of the vaccine. All patients with rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, SLE, DM, systemic vasculitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile SLE, and DM were assessed before and 21 days after vaccination for clinical, laboratory parameters of disease activity as well as treatment. Continuous variables will be compared by t-test to evaluate differences between patients with rheumatic diseases versus healthy controls. Differences between categorical variables will be evaluated using the chi-square or Fisher exact test. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
This study determined the efficacy, safety, tolerability and the PK profile of BAF312, a novel immunomodulator, in polymyositis and dermatomyositis patients who were not responsive to traditional immunosuppressive and/or corticosteroid therapy. The study consisted of a 12 week, randomized, placebo controlled period, followed by another 12 weeks where all subjects received BAF312 treatment.
This study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an oral medicine (called apremilast) for treating skin involvement in patients with the disease dermatomyositis.
The aim of this study is to investigate the hand function in patients with poly-and dermatomyositis and compare this to healthy individuals and norm values and secondly if hand function correlates to activity performance and health related quality of life. The study is a cross-sectional study. To assess hand function the investigators will measure grip force with Grippit and arm/hand mobility using EPM-ROM scale. The activity performance will be measured with Myositis Activities Profile and health related quality of life will be assessed with SF-36. The investigators' hypothesis is that hand function is reduced in comparison to the healthy population and that hand function affects both activity performance and health related quality of life.