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. 2025 Sep 1;64(9):4930-4936.
doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keaf229.

Consensus nomenclature and abbreviation for anti-synthetase syndrome: an IMACS project

Anushka Aggarwal  1 , Tanya Chandra  2 , Shiri Keret  3 , John D Pauling  4 , Ejaz A Shamim  5 , Francesco Bonella  6 , Fredrick W Miller  7 , Andrew Mammen  8 , Gianluca Sambataro  9 , Teerin Liewluck  10 , Anthony P Fernandez  11 , Elena Bartoloni  12 , Samuel Katsuyuki Shinjo  13 , Santos Castañeda  14 , Victoria Werth  15 , Mazen M Dimachkie  16 , Yasuhiro Katsumata  17 , Raquel Campanilho-Marques  18 , Manabu Fujimoto  19 , James B Lilleker  20 , Albert Selva-O'Callaghan  21 , Tahseen Mozaffar  22 , Harsha Gunawardena  4 , Herman Mann  23 , Jorge Rojas Serrano  24 , Lorenzo Cavagna  25 , Siamak Moghadam-Kia  2 , Chester V Oddis  2 , Parth Ladha  26 , Srijan Mittal  27 , Saloni Haldule  26 , Namratha Edpuganti  28 , Shreya Sridhar  29 , Rutvik Savaliya  30 , Vanshita Batra  27 , Rohit Aggarwal  2
Affiliations

Consensus nomenclature and abbreviation for anti-synthetase syndrome: an IMACS project

Anushka Aggarwal et al. Rheumatology (Oxford). .

Abstract

Objectives: The lack of uniform terminology and abbreviations for anti-synthetase syndrome has led to significant challenges in research and clinical practice. This study aimed to establish an international consensus on a standardized nomenclature and abbreviation among a diverse group of global myositis experts and patient representatives.

Methods: This qualitative project was approved by the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS). Based on the outcomes of a literature review and preliminary survey, list of terms for nomenclature and abbreviations was finalized. Subsequently, two rounds of the Delphi survey were conducted among myositis experts and patient participants to ascertain current practices and preferences. Using Nominal Group Technique (NGT), the project steering committee developed a consensus nomenclature and abbreviation.

Results: A total of 241 and 132 myositis experts from six continents, 35 countries and 9 specialities participated in round 1 and round 2 of the Delphi survey, respectively. The results indicated a preference for the terms anti-synthetase syndrome, antisynthetase syndrome and anti-tRNA synthetase syndrome. The abbreviations ASS, ASyS and ASSD were most used, though ASS received notable disapproval. The steering committee, including twenty-five myositis experts and three patient representatives from diverse backgrounds and geographical locations, reached a consensus on 'anti-synthetase syndrome' as the preferred nomenclature and ASyS as the preferred abbreviation, with 100% and 93.1% votes, respectively.

Conclusion: The terms anti-synthetase syndrome and ASyS should be adopted as the standard nomenclature and abbreviation in both research and clinical practice. This standardization is expected to increase consistency within the literature.

Keywords: ASyS; abbreviation; anti-synthetase syndrome; epidemiology; nomenclature.

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References

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