Heterogeneity in nomenclature and abbreviation usage for anti-synthetase syndrome: a scoping review

Anti-synthetase syndrome constitutes a dynamically evolving subset of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy, however, the nomenclature and abbreviations for this syndrome are plagued by heterogeneity, leading to lack of consistency in literature. The objective of this study is to evaluate existing diversity in disease names and abbreviations, with a future goal to develop consensus on the nomenclature. A scoping review format was used for analysis. A comprehensive PUBMED search was conducted from January 1, 1984 (the initial description of anti-synthetase autoantibodies) to November 30, 2023, encompassing all pertinent articles published within this timeframe. Search terms included, ((antisynthetase syndrome) OR (anti synthetase syndrome)) OR (anti-synthetase syndrome)). The articles were screened for presence of terminology and abbreviations used. The search yielded 936 items with the specified terms. After excluding 303 irrelevant articles and 58 non-English publications, the remaining n = 575 articles underwent detailed review of the abstract and full article. Out of n = 575, 54.7% (n = 314) used 'antisynthetase syndrome' and 43.4% (n = 249) preferred 'anti-synthetase syndrome' with few novel names also. Among these, 394 articles used abbreviations while 181 did not. Most utilized term was ASS; in 64.7% (n = 255), followed AS in 11.9% (n = 47), ASSD in 9.9% (n = 39) and ASyS in 7.6% (n = 30). A discordance in nomenclature is evident, with about half using antisynthetase syndrome and other half using anti-synthetase syndrome. Moreover, significant heterogeneity exists in abbreviation use aswell. There is a pressing need to bridge this disparity and establish a uniform identifier for the disease with an objective to develop greater coherence in future research, educational initiatives, and interdisciplinary collaboration.