OBJECTIVE To investigate the activation of different complement pathways in myasthenia gravis (MG) subtypes. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Levels of complement breakdown products for different complement pathways were measured using ELISA in sera of acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChR-Ab)-positive (n = 21), muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK)-Ab-positive (n = 23) and seronegative general...

Abs to acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and complement are the major constituents of pathogenic events causing neuromuscular junction destruction in both myasthenia gravis (MG) and experimental autoimmune MG (EAMG). To analyze the differential roles of the classical vs alternative complement pathways in EAMG induction, we immunized C3(-/-), C4(-/-), C3(+/-), and C4(+/-) mice and their control litt...

OBJECTIVE To increase the detection of MuSK-Abs using a CBA and test their pathogenicity. METHODS Sera from 69 MuSK-RIA-positive patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) (Definite MuSK-MG), 169 patients negative for MuSK-RIA and AChR-RIA (seronegative MG, SNMG), 35 healthy individuals (healthy controls, HCs), and 16 NMDA receptor-Ab-positive (NMDAR-Ab) disease controls were tested for binding to ...

Neuromuscular transmission failure in myasthenia gravis (MG) is most commonly elicited by autoantibodies (ab) to the acetylcholine receptor or the muscle-specific kinase, constituting AChR-MG and MuSK-MG. It is controversial whether these MG subtypes arise through different T helper (Th) 1, Th2 or Th17 polarized immune reactions and how these reactions are blunted by immunosuppression. To addre...

Objectives To describe the clinical profile, clinical outcomes and factors that may affect the outcome of juvenile myasthenia gravis (JMG) patients in southern China. Methods We reviewed information relating to JMG patients treated and evaluated at the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, between 1998 and 2015. The study involved 327 JMG patients who had been followed up for ≥1 ...

Experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) is a T cell-dependent, Ab-mediated autoimmune disease induced in rats by a single immunization with acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Although polarized Th1 responses have been shown to be crucial for the development of mouse EAMG, the role of Th cell subsets in rat EAMG is not well established. In the present work we show that while the incidence a...

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease characterized by acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChR-Ab) selectively affecting AChR of the postsynaptic membrane. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have immunosuppressive qualities including suppressing effector T cell responses and have beneficial effects in various immune disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therap...

Myasthenia gravis and hypokalemic periodic paralysis are commonly related with hyperthyroidism but rarely occur together. Here, the authors reported a case of hypokalemic periodic paralysis in a Northeastern Thai woman accompanied with myasthenia gravis. She had motor weakness despite a normal level of serum potassium. Prostigmine test was positive. She dramatically improved after pyridostigmin...

We report a young girl with myasthenia gravis (MG) who was first seen at age 2 for unexplained falls, diplopia, and ptosis. The patient was born as a full-term spontaneous vaginal delivery and spoke her first words and started walking at the age 10 months. The child was physically active initially and loved to play and run. At age 27 months, the patient started having difficulty rising up while...