[Antisynthetase syndrome and lung carcinoma: a fortuitous association?]

Dermatomyositis and polymyositis are sometimes associated with neoplasia. Conversely, a link between antisynthetase syndrome and neoplasia has not been clearly demonstrated.

We report a 54-year-old smoker male patient who presented with an antisynthetase syndrome with anti-Jo1 and anti-Ro-52 antibodies. An adenocarcinoma of the lung was diagnosed at the same time.

Two recent studies showed that patients with an antisynthetase syndrome associated with anti-Jo1 antibodies have more severe prognosis than antisynthetase syndrome associated with other antibodies (i.e. PL7/PL12). The risk of cancer occurrence seems to be increased when the anti-Jo1 antisynthetase syndrome is associated with anti-Ro-52 antibodies. To date, there is no demonstrated association between antisynthetase syndrome and neoplasia.