Arthropathy associated with anti-Jo-1 antibody

Anti-Jo-1 antibody is associated with an overlap syndrome usually described as the association of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, pulmonary fibrosis and polyarthritis. We report three observations illustrating different asp ects of arthropathy associated with anti-Jo-1 antibody. Two patients presen ted with a deforming and erosive arthritis affecting the hands, periarticul ar calcifications and dislocation of the interphalangeal (IP) joint of the thumb. The third patient, who had a short disease course, presented only wi th a mild non-erosive polyarthritis of both hands, metacarpophalangeal join t narrowing and periarticular calcifications. All the patients had intersti tial pulmonary syndrome. Only two of them had myositis. An arthropathy char acterized by erosive arthritis of the fingers, with dislocation of the IP j oint of the thumb and periarticular calcifications, seems to be specificall y associated with anti-Jo-1 antibody. Joint Bone Spine 2001 ; 68 : 166-9. ( C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.