Autoimmune Diseases

Myasthenia Gravis (MG)

What is Myasthenia Gravis?

Myasthenia gravis is a rare autoimmune disease that affects voluntary muscles, causing them to weaken with activity.

Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder characterized by variable weakness of voluntary muscles, which often improves with rest and worsens with activity. The condition is caused by an abnormal immune response. Medline Plus Dictionary.

Myasthenia gravis may be associated with other autoimmune diseases. Patients with family members who suffer from disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and lupus may have an increased risk for myasthenia gravis. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Performance of Different Criteria for Refractory Myasthenia Gravis (MG). There is high variability in the proportion of refractory MG patients depending on the criteria used, with ICG and REGAIN criteria capturing patients with worse disease severity. PubMed, Eur J Neurol, 12/11/2020.

Case Report: Ocular myasthenia gravis in a person with tetraplegia presenting challenges in diagnosis and management. We report the first case of ocular myasthenia gravis in a patient with complete tetraplegia, highlighting diagnostic and management challenges. PubMed, Spinal Cord Ser Cases.

Diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis

Reduced plasmablast frequency is associated with seronegative myasthenia gravis. Reduced plasmablast frequencies are strongly associated with a SN MG diagnosis and may be a useful diagnostic biomarker in the future. PubMed, Muscle Nerve, 12/08/2020.

Symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis

Case Report: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), myasthenia gravis (MG), and membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) – three autoimmune disorders in one patient. The present case of CIDP, MG, and MGN occurring in one patient indicates a common underlying immune mechanism in these distinct conditions, including the involvement of autoantibodies and T cells. PubMed, BMC Neurol.

Pregnancy and Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) may be associated with other autoimmune diseases. Patients with family members who suffer from disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and lupus may have an increased risk for myasthenia gravis. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (Also see What is Scleroderma?)

Scleroderma and Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia gravis and scleroderma: Two cases and a review of the literature. Myasthenia gravis is uncommon in patients with scleroderma, and when diagnosed is usually associated with previous use of d-penicillamine. Clinically, both myasthenia and scleroderma may present with fatigue, weakness and bulbar symptoms, so one of diagnoses may be delayed. PubMed, Clin Neurol Neurosurg. (Also see Clinical Trials: Negative Results)

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) may be associated with other autoimmune diseases. Patients with family members who suffer from disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and lupus may have an increased risk for myasthenia gravis. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (Also see Autoimmune Diseases: Main Page and What is Scleroderma?)

Treatments for Myasthenia Gravis

Autoantibody Specificities in Myasthenia Gravis (MG); Implications for Improved Diagnostics and Therapeutics. The development of novel autoantibody assays is aiding in the more accurate diagnosis and classification of MG patients, supporting the development of advanced therapeutics and ultimately the improvement of disease management. PubMed, Front Immunol, 2020 Feb 14;11:212.

Antigen-specific immunoadsorption of muscle specific kinase (MuSK) autoantibodies as a treatment of MuSK-induced experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG). Overall, the procedure was efficient, supporting its application for MG treatment. PubMed, J Neuroimmunol, 2020 Feb 15;339:577136. (Also see Therapeutic Plasma Exchange)

Improvement of quality of life after therapeutic plasma exchange in patients with myasthenic crisis. Therapeutic plasma exchange significantly improves the quality of life of patients with myasthenia gravis during the crisis. PubMed, Neurol Neurochir Pol. (Also see Therapeutic Plasma Exchange)

Research about Myasthenia Gravis

Thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) increases the risk of autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs): a nationwide cohort study. The present nationwide cohort study revealed an association between MG and incident ARDs. PubMed, Rheumatology (Oxford), 2019 Jan 1;58(1):135-143.

The role of TNFα induced protein 3 interacting protein 1(TNIP1) in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis among patients with thymoma. Reduced TNIP1 expression may have a role in the pathogenesis of MG for patients with thymoma and thymectomy may help to recover the expression of TNIP1 among such patients. PubMed, Zhonghua Yi Xue Yi Chuan Xue Za Zhi.

Personal Stories about Myasthenia Gravis

Papa V: Lupus, Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Myasthenia Gravis, and Scleroderma About thirty years passed, and then—BAM !—I got a heart blockage, stroke, liver biopsy due to elevated enzymes, skin rash, high blood pressure, very high ANA..

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