In addition to finding an association between the level of UV radiation and the proportion of women who developed dermatomyositis compared to polymyositis, the researchers found an association between UV levels and the proportion of women with the anti-Mi-2 autoantibody. "More research is clearly needed to understand the potential links between UV radiation and the development of autoimmune diseases and autoantibodies in women," said Miller.

"While the causes of autoimmune diseases are not known, we suspect from emerging research that they develop after one or more environmental exposures in genetically susceptible people," said NIEHS Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D. "This study adds UV radiation to the growing list of environmental exposures possibly important in the development of autoimmune diseases."


The NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of NIH. For more information on environmental health topics, visit our Web site at http://www.niehs.nih.gov.

Source: NIH

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.Reference: Love LA, Weinberg CR, McConnaughey DR, Oddis CV, Medsger TA, Reveille JD, Arnett FC, Targoff IN, Miller FW. "Ultraviolet Radiation Intensity Predicts the Relative Distribution of Dermatomyositis and Anti-Mi-2 Autoantibodies in Women." Arthritis & Rheumatism. August, 2009.

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