In general, the JDM patients had moderate disease activity at the time of their first nailfold photography; the mean DAS-T = 10.8 ± 3.3 SD; (DAS-S = 5.7 ± 1.3; DAS-M = 5.1 ± 2.8); the von Willebrand Factor Antigen (vWF:Ag) (corrected for blood group antigen) was elevated in 24% (mean 159.6 ± 88.0%) of untreated JDM (Table 3). The gene discussed is VWF; the disease is juvenile dermatomyositis.