Connect With A Dermatologist Near You








Dermatomyositis and Stem Cell Therapy

Stem Cell Therapies

Stem Cell Therapy

Dermatomyositis is a chronic and uncommon inflammatory disease that affects the muscles. The symptoms of this disease are skin rash, and muscle fatigue, that occurs over a long period of time. This might happen suddenly but can also develop over some weeks or months. The other presentations of this disease are a loss of weight, fever, phobia, oversensitivity to light and pulmonary disease. The exact cause of this disease is unknown, however, there have been studies that suggested this disease could be an autoimmune disease, secondary to a viral disease. This disease is diagnosed based on a combination of the presenting symptoms, muscle tissue biopsy, blood test and electromyography. Although there is no cure for this disease, treatments are given to the patient to make life comfortable for the patient and to improve the symptoms. The treatments given could include drug therapy, exercise, physiotherapy, the use of supportive devices. Medications administered usually includes corticosteroids, used alongside other drugs like methotrexate. This disease is more predominant in women than in men. Also, it occurs more in people that are in their forties and fifties.

What Are the Symptoms Of Dermatomyositis?

The symptoms of this disease include skin rash and muscle disorders in both extremities.

  1. Skin: The skin of the patient is usually affected with rashes that are also known as the heliotrope. This rash may appear lilac or red in color. There is usually a swelling around the eyes, alongside the red rashes. This can also be seen in the upper part of the patient’s chest and on the back. This can also spread to the neck, face, parts of the extremities such as the hand, upper arms, thighs, and the face. Another kind of rash that patients present is the Gottron’s sign. This kind of rash is also red in color, although scaly, also do present with eruptions on the joints of the finger such as the interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints. These rashes typically worsen on exposure to sunlight and can be very itchy, uncomfortable and also bleed.
  2. Musculoskeletal system: People with this disease do experience a gradual worsening of muscle fatigue, especially in the proximal muscles of their extremities, such as in the thigh area and in the shoulders. Activities that the patients do without stress before the disease, becomes difficult for them, some of these activities can range from taking a shower, buttoning their shirts, wearing a shoe, climbing the staircase, or even simple tasks like standing from sitting.
  3. Other symptoms: Other symptoms of this disease joints in the pain, swollen joints, however, this is usually mild. In some cases, the disease does affect the pulmonary system and patients might present with difficulty in breathing, cough and so on. It can also affect the cardiovascular system, and when it does, patients might start having irregular heart rhythm, also known as arrhythmia, alongside disorders in the vessels of the abdominal organs. This is more predominant in people that have juvenile diabetes mellitus. Patients with these symptoms usually do vomit blood. They might also develop a hole in their gastro abdominal tract.

What Are The Causes Of Dermatomyositis?

The exact cause of Dermatomyositis is unknown, however, this disease shares a lot of similarities with other autoimmune disorders. An autoimmune disease is a disease in which the body immune system fails to recognize somebody tissues as part of the body. They then proceed to attack and damage them. This would lead to the abnormal functioning of the of the organ and tissues affected. The small vessels of the body are usually the most affected. This immunological reaction would also lead to inflammation around the blood vessels, leading to the damage and destruction of the muscle fibers.

What Are The Complications Of Dermatomyositis?

Dermatomyositis is a rare chronic inflammatory disease that affects the muscles of the body. It has some complications, some of them are below;

  1. Problems with swallowing food substances: This occurs especially when the muscles of the throat and esophagus are affected. Patients often present with dysphagia, which can eventually lead to the loss of weight.
  2. Deposition of calcium: This usually occurs in the muscles, skin and in the connective tissues. It worsens as the disease gradually progresses. This complication is more common in children affected with dermatomyositis.
  3. Respiratory problems: This occurs when the disease affects the muscles associated with respiration. This could include the internal and external intercostal muscles, and can also include the abdominal muscles used in respiration. Patients often present with shortness of breath and other associated respiratory disorders.
  4. Pneumonia: This occurs when the muscles of deglutition are affected by this disease. The patient would have difficulty swallowing food, and might even have aspiration pneumonia. This happens when patients swallow food substances, liquid, and even saliva into the lungs, mostly due to the dysfunction of the muscles of the throat and esophagus.

How Is Dermatomyositis Currently Treated?

There is no cure for this disease yet, however, the symptoms can be improved, so that the patient can have a more comfortable life. The approach to treating this disease ranges from drug medication to physical therapy, physiotherapy, the use of devices and so on. The first line and standard treatment for this disease is the administration of corticosteroids.

  1. Corticosteroids: An example of a corticosteroid is prednisone. This can be taken orally or topically, to reduce the skin conditions. They also suppress the immune system, which leads to a reduction of the activities of the antibodies.
  2. Intravenous immunoglobulin: The body antibodies attack the muscle tissues and the skin in dermatomyositis. However intravenous immunoglobulin is capable of blocking the action of the antibodies. These antibodies are usually collected from healthy people, to assist those with this disease

Stem Cell Therapy And Dermatomyositis

A lot of studies and trials have shown that stem cell therapy has a lot of potential in the treatment of dermatomyositis. According to a study published in 2010, in a Norwich journal of rheumatology, it was recorded that significant improvements were observed in patients that underwent stem cell therapy. Stem cells were extracted from their adipose tissues and transferred back to them. This procedure has no serious side effects with no cases of rejection.

References

Black, M. and Marshman, G. (2010). Dermatomyositis and pemphigus vulgaris: Association or coincidence?. Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 52(2), pp.e11-e14.

Greenberg, S. (2014). Sustained autoimmune mechanisms in dermatomyositis. The Journal of Pathology, 233(3), pp.215-216.

Lam, C. and Vleugels, R. (2012). Management of cutaneous dermatomyositis. Dermatologic Therapy, 25(2), pp.112-134.

Scadden, D. and Srivastava, A. (2012). Advancing Stem Cell Biology toward Stem Cell Therapeutics. Cell Stem Cell, 10(2), pp.149-150.