Recurrent polymyositis-associated lung disease after lung transplantation.
ABSTRACT
The association between interstitial lung disease and polymyositis/dermatomyositis is well known. It severely affects patients' quality of life, worsens prognosis and represents a major risk factor for premature death. Current treatment is unclear and therapeutic options are based on case series. We report the case of a 15-year old female diagnosed with end-stage lung disease associated to polymyositis who received a double lung transplant after 20 days of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. She died 9 months later and microscopic post-mortem findings revealed recurrence of interstitial lung disease. This is the first time that recurrence of polymyositis-associated lung disease following lung transplantation is described in the literature.
New answer by at University of Washington (October 4, 2023)
The marker that might be helpful in this situation is the level of MDA5 antibody. Data including that from Muro et al., PMID 22210662 suggest that the disappearance of the MDA...