[Two cases of interstitial pneumonia with anti-PL-12 (alanyl tRNA synthetase) antibodies]

Ryumachi. 1996 Dec;36(6):862-8.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

We present two cases of interstitial pneumonia (IP) whose sera contain autoantibodies to PL-12 (alanyl tRNA synthetase). The first patient is a 47-year-old female who was diagnosed as IP and treated with corticosteroid at another hospital. She was admitted to Keio University Hospital due to worsening of dyspnea and polyarthritis. Laboratory studies revealed elevation of LDH and CRP, and her chest radiography showed interstitial fibrosis. Because of clinical deterioration, the dose of corticosteroid was increased (prednisolone 40 mg/day) and her symptom was stabilized. The second patient, a 55 year-old female, was admitted to Tokyo Metropolitan Ohtsuka Hospital because of dyspnea on exertion and polyarthritis. She did not show any symptom of myositis and was diagnosed as IP with arthritis on the basis of her clinical and chest radiography. She was treated with oral corticosteroid (prednisolone 30 mg/day), which resulted in improvement of her respiratory symptom and arthritis. Both patients were found to have autoantibodies to the PL-12. Autoantibodies to aminoacyl tRNA synthetases have been recognized as having a linkage with myositis mainly because of observations of the Jo-1 specificity. There was one report on a North American population that most but not all patients with anti-PL-12 antibodies had myositis. However, the clinical significance of anti-PL-12 has not been examined in Japanese patients. These patients suggested that anti-PL-12 antibodies have a stronger association with IP than myositis in Japanese patients.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Alanine-tRNA Ligase / immunology*
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Arthritis / etiology
  • Autoantibodies / blood*
  • Dyspnea / etiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / drug therapy
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / immunology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Prednisolone / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Autoantibodies
  • Prednisolone
  • Alanine-tRNA Ligase