Are serum transaminases frequently elevated at time of diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and normalize with creatine kinase?
In our series, we found a strong correlation between CK and serum transaminases. Serum transaminases were elevated in 80% of patients at the time of presentation and normalized in 85% of the patients at the time of CK normalization. Appropriate recognition of these laboratory changes in IIM may help reduce unnecessary hepatic evaluation, delayed diagnosis, unnecessary avoidance of second line immunosuppressants, and misdiagnosis of primary liver disease.
This study shows the identification of distinct nailfold capillaroscopy patterns in patients with Scl GVHD but it does not confer special risk for any other specific clinical symptoms of the disease.