Chapters authored
Inflammatory Muscle Diseases
Inflammatory myopathies, also called idiopathic inflammatory myopathy or myositis, are rare conditions characterized by the involvement of various organs in addition to muscle tissue. These changes can lead to severe impairments and adversely impact the quality of life of affected individuals. The diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory myopathies involve the participation of an interdisciplinary team, due to the complexity of the disease and the high variety of possible signs and symptoms. In this chapter we will discuss the epidemiology and characteristics of the main subtypes of inflammatory myopathies, such as polymyositis, dermatomyositis, necrotizing myopathy, overlap myositis, and myositis of inclusion bodies. Next, we will discuss the existence of crosstalk between inflammatory processes in the oral cavity and their consequences on skeletal muscle. As oral inflammation can increase infiltration of macrophages in muscle tissue and this increase is related to the production of proinflammatory cytokines in this tissue, these cytokines can cause muscle weakness. It is important to consider the prevention of chronic inflammatory processes in order to maintain muscle integrity or even prevent the worsening of the clinical condition of patients with inflammatory muscle diseases.
Part of the book: Muscle Cells