Introduction:

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies constitute a group of muscle diseases characterized by chronic muscle weakness and muscle inflammation of unknown etiology.

Objective:

To identify the clinical and immunological characteristics and their relationship with organ damage in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Methods:

An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out in 52 patients with diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, followed in the protocolized consultation of Rheumatology at Hermanos Ameijeiras Clinical and Surgical Hospital from January 2016 to January 2017. For the qualitative variables, the percentages of each group were calculated. Pearson's Chi-square (Fisher's exact statistic) was used. 95% significance level (α = 0.05) was used to relate the presence of antibodies and the type of myopathy as well as the presence of clinical manifestations of MII.

Results:

80.8% were women and 86.5% of urban origin. The mean age at the beginning was 42.8 ± 13.2 years, time delay to diagnosis was 8.8 ± 7.0 months, mean time of evolution of the disease of 7.5 ± 7.1 years. 80.8% were in remission, 50% had specific antibodies. Hypertension was found in 28.8% of the patients and 23.1% had interstitial pneumonia. Arthritis was present in 96.2%. 26.9% had specific Jo1 antibodies and 21.2% had Ro 52.

Conclusions:

Urban female patients in the fourth decade of life predominated, the most frequent specific antibodies found was anti-Jo-1, associated with the presence of interstitial lung disease.

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