ONSET OF POLYMYOSITIS WITH AUTOANTIBODIES TO THREONYL-TRANSFER-RNA SYNTHETASE DURING PREGNANCY

A 24-year-old black woman developed polymyositis with autoantibodies t o threonyl-tRNA synthetase in the 2nd trimester of her 3rd pregnancy. This was complicated by fetal loss and the development of severe relap sing myositis resistant to corticosteroid and azathioprine therapy. Th ese features were also common in other cases in the literature. Antisy nthetase antibodies had not been reported in myositis occurring during pregnancy and may be of interest regarding the pathogenesis of inflam matory myopathy complicating pregnancy.