Report of a Patient With Anti-Jo-1 Syndrome With Loss of Consciousness

A 51-year-old febrile woman presented to the emergency department because of loss of consciousness while worshipping at a temple. She experienced muscle weakness and blurred vision before fainting. She also felt pain in her left shoulder and suffered from dry cough and shortness of breath during the previous week. The chest radiograph (CXR) showed bilateral reticular infiltration, indicating interstitial lung disease (ILD), and chest computed tomography revealed reticular, nodular, and reticulonodular patterns of infiltration that were compatible with ILD. Blood tests showed a creatinine kinase level of 3,307 IU/L and an Anti-Jo-1 autoantibody level of 586 AU/mL. It was found via right thigh biopsy results 8 days later that she had polymyositis with perivascular inflammation and degenerative muscle fiber change. Pulse therapy with methylprednisolone (1 gm/day for 3 days) was administered. After 4 days, she felt better and was discharged. Around 25.0%-34.1% of myositis patients have anti-Jo-1 autoantibodies, and ILD was noted in 65%-68% of anti-Jo-1-positive patients. A ground glass pattern may be observed in the CXRs of anti-Jo-1 ILD patients, and some articles described multiple pulmonary nodules mimicking lung metastasis or concomitant with pleural effusion. The conditions of approximately 42%-66% of ILD patients are controlled or are not worsened after treatment with corticosteroid and immunosuppressive drug treatment. However, some rapidly progressive cases are not sensitive to corticosteroid therapy alone.