Patient's question:
I am 28 years old. I first developed the condition in November 2007 (at the age of 20) and was diagnosed with polymyositis upon discharge. After discharge, I was treated with prednisone until the end of 2008, when the medication was discontinued, and my condition improved. I had another recurrence and was hospitalized for treatment in October 2013.Doctor's answer:
In patients with polymyositis, there is a certain relationship with the genetically related substance human leukocyte antigen (HLA). The patients often exhibit HLA-B8 and HLA-DR3 phenotypes. However, due to the complex pathogenesis of this disease, it is caused by the combined effect of multiple factors, with genetic factors being only one of them. This factor alone does not cause the disease; at most, it only increases the likelihood of developing the condition compared to the general population. Therefore, the next generation of patients does not necessarily have a higher predisposition to this disease.