1. Smoking and younger age at onset in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive myasthenia gravis
- Author
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Yusei Miyazaki, Ken Sakushima, Masaaki Niino, Eri Takahashi, Kei Oiwa, Ryoji Naganuma, Itaru Amino, Sachiko Akimoto, Naoya Minami, Ichiro Yabe, and Seiji Kikuchi
- Subjects
Immunology ,Immunology and Allergy - Abstract
Smoking is a known risk factor for the development and progression of several autoimmune diseases. Previous studies have pointed out the association of smoking with the development and worsening of symptoms in myasthenia gravis (MG), but further investigation is necessary to confirm this association. Smoking history was investigated in a cross-sectional study of 139 patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive MG, and the association of smoking history with the age at the onset of MG was analyzed. Patients who had been smoking at the onset of MG were significantly younger compared with those who had never smoked or had quit before the onset of MG. A linear regression analysis adjusting for sex and the presence/absence of thymoma showed a significant association between smoking at onset and younger age at onset (regression coefficient -9.05; 95% confidence interval, -17.6, -0.51
- Published
- 2022
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