Table 1.

Use of ESR, CK and/or AST, as biochemical markers of responsiveness in three patients (1, 2 and 3) with dermatomyositis; measurements taken at diagnosis and on improvement of myositis symptoms

	1			2			3
	ESR	CK	AST	ESR	CK	AST	ESR	CK	AST
Diagnosis	28	2366	ND*	58	16 596	616	85	544	47
Clinical improvement	ND	64	ND*	21	1187	81	77	162	38

Normal ranges in reference laboratory: ESR (0–12 mm/hour), CK (25–200 U/L), AST (<32 U/L).

*Not done (ND): patient treated at a different hospital in which AST is not routinely measured.

AST, aspartate transaminase; CK, creatine kinase; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate.