The glycyl-tRNA synthetase is a cytoplasmic enzyme which catalyzes the binding of amino acid glycine to glycine-specific transfer RNA.
Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis (PM/DM) are autoimmune diseases which primarily affect the muscles and/or the skin, although other organs may also be involved (lung and heart). The illnesses severely affect the quality of life and may, if not diagnosed and treated rapidly, progress over time to a life-threatening state. The diagnosis of PM/DM however is difficult since overlap syndromes with features of other diseases such as Scleroderma are frequent.
The most important autoantibodies for the serological diagnosis of PM/DM are antiaminoacyl-tRNA synthetases antibodies (such as anti-EJ antibodies). The anti-synthetase syndrome is characterized by myositis with a high frequency of Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD).
Anti-EJ antibodies are reported more commonly in patients with Polymiositis (PM) than in patients with Dermatomiositis (DM) and they are rare in children. EJ is identified in less than 2 % of patients.
Recombinant, human, expressed in human HEK293 cells (for more information on our antigens click here)