Risk prediction
Their findings suggest that autoantibody profiles might be used for cancer risk stratification in patients with anti–TIF1-gamma–positive dermatomyositis, Dr. Mecoli said.
“Are we overscreening? What is the cost in terms of patient anxiety, in terms of radiation, and in terms of false positive results?” he asked. “If I had a patient in front of me with anti–TIF1-gamma dermatomyositis, I would probably manage them differently if I knew that they were CCAR1 positive, because the presence of that additional autoantibody attenuates their cancer risk relative to the general population.”
In an editorial accompanying the study, Manabu Fujimoto, MD, of the department of dermatology at Osaka (Japan) University, commented that it “is of clinical importance in that combination of autoantibodies can predict cancer risk with more accuracy. At the same time, this study will give an insight into the pathomechanisms of how antitumor activity may shape autoimmunity in dermatomyositis.”
It will be “intriguing” to discover whether anti-CCAR1 autoantibodies act only against tumors or might also have an impact on dermatomyositis itself, Dr. Fujimoto said.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health; Huayi and Siuling Zhang Discovery Fund; Peter Buck, MD; and the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation. The authors and Dr. Fujimoto reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.