The following is a summary of “Epidemiology of Antisynthetase Syndrome and Risk of Malignancy in a Population-based Cohort (1998-2019), published in the January 2025 issue of Pulmonology by Coffey et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to determine the incidence and prevalence of antisynthetase syndrome (ASSD) and assess malignancy risk among individuals following ASSD diagnosis.  

They assessed adults with incident ASSD in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 1998 to 2019, the ASSD classification was based on Solomon et al. criteria, and clinical data were extracted through manual chart review. Participants were followed until death, migration, or December 31, 2019. Malignancy was defined by physician diagnosis in medical records. The incidence rate was age- and sex-adjusted to the 2010 U.S. white population, and point prevalence on January 1, 2015, was calculated.  

The results showed 13 patients with ASSD were identified (7 [54%] female, 13 [100%] Caucasian, median age 44.9 years [IQR: 41.9-58.3]). The age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate was 0.56 (95% CI: 0.25-0.87) per 1,00,000 population, with the highest incidence in the 50-59 age group. Age- and sex-adjusted prevalence was 9.2 per 1,00,000 (95% CI: 3.4-15.0), 2 of 13 (15%) were diagnosed with malignancy during follow-up, with none diagnosed within 3 years of ASSD. After a median follow-up of 11.9 years (IQR: 7.0-13.4), 12/13 (92%) patients remained alive.  

Investigators concluded the ASSD was rare, with an incidence of 0.56 per 1,00,000 and prevalence of 9 per 1,00,000, showing similar incidence rates between males and females, and the highest in individuals aged 50-59, with no malignancy developing within 3 years of diagnosis. 

Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39814448/