How do you interpret negative HMGCR antibody test results in a patient with necrotizing myopathy who has already been on treatment with steroids and whose CK has normalized?

Topics: Rheumatology • Myositis

Given that antibody levels seem to fluctuate with disease activity in a subset of patients would you assume that prednisone therapy could turn an HMGCR result negative in a matter of weeks if the clinical picture otherwise fits and all other serologies are also negative including SRP?

Answer from: at Academic Institution

HMGCR antibodies tend to remain present over time, even during periods of disease remission. Only recently have we began observing negative results in patients undergoing long-term treatment. Therefore, considering the patient received steroids for only a brief period, it's reasonable to suspect tha...

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at UTMB Health
And would ask the patient's PCP not to start or co...

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