Autoimmune Myositis and Antisynthetase Syndrome Autoimmune Myositis and Antisynthetase Syndrome Autoimmunity refers to the elicitation of an immune response by lymphocytes directed against self antigens. It is considered the result of a breakdown in the mechanisms which normally invoke self tolerance. The consequence of the responses can include either systemic or tissue specific injury. Much of the research conducted on this topic, is centred around the humoral aspects, namely the production of autoantibodies.
Autoantibodies are immunoglobulins that recognize and respond to self antigens.
From this, the suggestion of a possible role played by these autoanitbodies in the specific features of PM is currently being explored. The most common and widely recognized MSAs include those directed against the tRNA synthetases. These enzymes function primarily in the cytoplasm where they catalzye the binding of amino acids to their respective tRNA in protein synthesis. Hence, each tRNA specifically recognizes a particular amino acid, that is antigenically distinct. Recognition and subsequent binding of these autoantibodies to their respective antigen results in inhibtion of the enzymes activity, and thus its catalytic role in protein synthesis.