Statin-associated immune-mediated necrotizing myositis in Native Americans

Objectives: Statin-associated immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) and idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM) are myopathies with overlapping features. This study compared the manifestations of IMNM to IIM in Native Americans.

Method: Twenty-one Native American patients with inflammatory myopathy (IM) were characterized as to diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, statin exposure, myopathy diagnosis, muscle histology, autoimmune and myositis-specific autoantibodies, therapy and outcome.

Results: IM consisted of 52.4% IMNM, 42.9% IIM and 4.8% metabolic myopathy. IMNM vs IIM patients were older [61.6 years (s.d. 9.8) vs 39.8 (14.3)], diabetes mellitus (100% vs 55.6%), hyperlipidaemia (100% vs 33.3%), statin-exposure (100% vs 22.2%), creatine kinase [CK; 11 780 IU (s.d. 7064) vs 1707 (1658)], anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) antibodies (85.7% vs 11.1%) and necrotizing IM (81.8% vs 11.1%), but shorter disease duration [26.2 months (s.d. 395) vs 78.4 (47.9)], RP (9.1% vs 55.6%), cutaneous manifestations (0% vs 55.6%), ANA (18.2% vs 66.7%) or any autoantibody (18.2% vs 88.9%) (all P < 0.05). MRI abnormalities, histologic IM, myositis-specific autoantibodies, pulmonary hypertension, oesophageal dysfunction, interstitial lung disease, disability and persistently elevated CK were similar. IMNM vs IIM was treated more with IVIG (72.7% vs 11.1%; P = 0.009) and less with antimetabolites (45.5% vs 88.9%; P = 0.05) and rituximab (18.2% vs 55.6%; P = 0.09).

Conclusions: IMNM may occur in Native Americans and is associated with diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, statin use and older age and is characterized by marked CK elevation, necrotizing myopathy and anti-HMGCR antibodies with few cutaneous or vascular manifestations.