Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
6
pubmed:dateCreated
2005-5-11
pubmed:abstractText
Around 10-20% of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients do not have acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies (seronegative), of whom some have antibodies to a membrane-linked muscle specific kinase (MuSK). To examine MG severity and long-term prognosis in seronegative MG compared with seropositive MG, and to look specifically at anti-AChR antibody negative and anti-MuSK antibody negative patients. Seventeen consecutive seronegative non-thymomatous MG patients and 34 age and sex matched contemporary seropositive non-thymomatous MG controls were included in a retrospective follow-up study for a total period of 40 years. Clinical criteria were assessed each year, and muscle antibodies were assayed. There was no difference in MG severity between seronegative and seropositive MG. However, when thymectomized patients were excluded from the study at the year of thymectomy, seropositive MG patients had more severe course than seronegative (P < 0.001). One seropositive patient died from MG related respiratory insufficiency. The need for thymectomy in seronegative MG was lower than in seropositive MG. None of the seronegative patients had MuSK antibodies. This study shows that the presence of AChR antibodies in MG patients correlates with a more severe MG. With proper treatment, especially early thymectomy for seropositive MG, the outcome and long-term prognosis is good in patients with and without AChR antibodies.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jun
pubmed:issn
1351-5101
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
12
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
413-8
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-11-19
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Antibodies, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Azathioprine, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Case-Control Studies, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Female, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Humans, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Immunosuppressive Agents, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Incidence, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Longitudinal Studies, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Male, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Myasthenia Gravis, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Prognosis, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Radioimmunoassay, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Receptors, Cholinergic, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Retrospective Studies, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Severity of Illness Index, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Thymectomy, pubmed-meshheading:15885043-Time Factors
pubmed:year
2005
pubmed:articleTitle
Seronegative myasthenia gravis: disease severity and prognosis.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. frederik.romi@haukeland.no
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Clinical Trial, Comparative Study