Introduction: This study aimed to provide an updated analysis of the different prognostic trajectories of patients with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibodies.
Methods: Among a cohort of 70 patients, baseline characteristics and phenotypes, treatments and outcomes were analyzed. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify factors associated with poor outcomes, i.e., death or progressive disease at the last follow-up.
Results: Among the 70 patients, 45 were women, and 54 were Caucasian. A dermatologic involvement was observed in 58 (83%) patients, including 40 with MDA5 vasculopathy-related skin lesions. Muscular involvement was observed in 39 (56%) patients. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) was observed at baseline in 52 (74%) patients, including 23 (44%) who developed rapidly progressive (RP) ILD. Seven (10%) patients showed thromboembolic complications within the first weeks of diagnosis, and eight (11%) other patients developed a malignancy (4 before the diagnosis of anti-MDA5 disease). Poor outcomes were observed in 28 (40%) patients, including 13 (19%) deaths. Among the 23 patients with RP-ILD, 19 (79%) showed poor outcomes, including 12 (63%) who died. In multivariate analyses, RP-ILD (hazard ratio (HR), 95% CI: 8.24 [3.21-22], p<0.0001), the occurrence of thromboembolic events (HR: 5.22 [1.61-14.77], p=0.008) and the presence of any malignancy (HR: 19.73 [6.67-60], p<0.0001) were the three factors independently associated with poor outcomes.
Discussion: This new independent cohort confirms the presence of different clinical phenotypes of anti-MDA5 diseases at baseline and the poor prognosis associated with RP-ILD. Thromboembolic events and malignancies were also identified as prognostic factors.
Keywords: anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis; malignancy; prognosis; rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease; thromboembolic events.
Copyright © 2024 de Boysson, Cuchet, Cassius, Cuchet, Agard, Audemard-Verger, Marchand-Adam, Cohen-Sors, Gallay, Graveleau, Lesort, Ly, Meyer, Monseau, Néel, Bonnotte, Pérard, Schleinitz, Mariotte, Le Mauff, Bourdenet, Masmoudi, Deshayes, Dumont, Dompmartin, Kottler and Aouba.