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1. Human Leukocyte Antigen Class II associations in late‐onset Myasthenia Gravis

Author

Gregorio Spagni, Laura Todi, Gabriele Monte, Mariagrazia Valentini, Gabriele Di Sante, Valentina Damato, Mariapaola Marino, Amelia Evoli, Francesca Lantieri, and Carlo Provenzano

Subjects
Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, RC321-571, Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system, RC346-429
Abstract

Abstract Objective Genetic factors predisposing to late‐onset myasthenia gravis (LOMG) have not been clearly defined yet. However, genome‐wide association studies identified Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Class II alleles as a hotspot in this disease subtype. The aim of this study was to analyze the correlations of HLA Class II alleles with clinical data and titin antibodies in this patient subgroup. Methods This study consecutively enrolled anti‐acetylcholine receptor antibody‐positive, non‐thymoma patients with generalized LOMG. All patients were of Italian ancestry. HLA‐DRB1 and ‐DQB1 genotyping and serum titin antibody testing were performed in this population. Results A total of 107 patients (females: 28/107, 26.2%; median age of onset: 68 years, range: 50‐92) were included. We found a positive association with HLA‐DRB1*07 (P = 1.1 × 10‐5), HLA‐DRB1*14 (P = 0.0251) and HLA‐DQB1*02 (P = 0.0095). HLA‐DRB1*03, HLA‐DRB1*11, and HLA‐DQB1*03 were protective alleles (P = 7.9 × 10‐5, P = 0.0104, and P = 0.0067, respectively). By conditional haplotype analysis, HLA‐DRB1*07‐DQB1*02 was found to be the major risk haplotype (OR = 4.10; 95% C.I.: 2.80‐5.99; P = 6.01 × 10‐11). The mean age at onset was 73.4 years in DRB1*07 homozygotes, 69.7 years in heterozygotes, and 66.6 in non‐carriers (P = 0.0488). DRB1*07 carriers and non‐carriers did not differ in disease severity and response to therapy. Titin antibodies were detected in 61.4% of the cases, having no association with HLA alleles or specific clinical characteristics. Interpretation In our study, we identified the HLA DRB1*07‐DQB1*02 haplotype as a predisposing factor for the development of generalized LOMG in the Italian population.

Published
2021
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3. Controversies in Ocular Myasthenia Gravis

Author

Amelia Evoli and Raffaele Iorio

Subjects
neuromuscular junction, acetylcholine receptor antibodies, muscle-specific kinase antibodies, autoimmune disease, ophthalmoparesis, Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system, RC346-429
Abstract

Myasthenia gravis (MG) with symptoms limited to eye muscles [ocular MG (OMG)] is a rare disease. OMG incidence varies according to ethnicity and age of onset. In recent years, both an increase in incidence rate, particularly in the elderly, and a lower risk for secondary generalization may have contributed to the growing disease prevalence in Western countries. OMG should be considered in patients with painless ptosis and extrinsic ophthalmoparesis. Though asymmetric muscle involvement and symptom fluctuations are typical, in some cases, OMG can mimic isolated cranial nerve paresis, internuclear ophthalmoplegia, and conjugate gaze palsy. Diagnostic confirmation can be challenging in patients negative for anti-acetylcholine receptor and anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase antibodies on standard radioimmunoassay. Early treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms and at preventing disease progression to generalized MG. Despite the absence of high-level evidence, there is general agreement on the efficacy of steroids at low to moderate dosage; immunosuppressants are considered when steroid high maintenance doses are required. The role of thymectomy in non-thymoma patients is controversial. Prolonged exposure to immunosuppressive therapy has a negative impact on the health-related quality of life in a proportion of these patients. OMG is currently excluded from most of the treatments recently developed in generalized MG.

Published
2020
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4. Epidemiological evidence for a hereditary contribution to myasthenia gravis: a retrospective cohort study of patients from North America

Author

Joel Oger, Joshua D Green, Bryan J Traynor, Richard J Barohn, Michael Benatar, Emanuela Bartoccion, Derrick Blackmore, Manisha Chopra, Andrea Corse, Mazen M Dimachkie, Amelia Evoli, Julaine Florence, Miriam Freimer, James F Howard, Theresa Jiwa, Henry J Kaminski, John T Kissel, Wilma J Koopman, Bernadette Lipscomb, Michelanglo Maestri, Mariapaola Marino, Janice M Massey, April McVey, Michelle M Mezei, Michael W Nicolle, Robert M Pascuzzi, Mamatha Pasnoor, Alan Pestronk, Carlo Provenzano, Roberta Ricciardi, David P Richman, Julie Rowin, Donald B Sanders, Zaeem Siddiqi, Aimee Soloway, Gil I Wolfe, Charlie Wulf, and Daniel B Drachman

Subjects
Medicine
Abstract

Objectives To approximate the rate of familial myasthenia gravis and the coexistence of other autoimmune disorders in the patients and their families.Design Retrospective cohort study.Setting Clinics across North America.Participants The study included 1032 patients diagnosed with acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChR)-positive myasthenia gravis.Methods Phenotype information of 1032 patients diagnosed with AChR-positive myasthenia gravis was obtained from clinics at 14 centres across North America between January 2010 and January 2011. A critical review of the epidemiological literature on the familial rate of myasthenia gravis was also performed.Results Among 1032 patients, 58 (5.6%) reported a family history of myasthenia gravis. A history of autoimmune diseases was present in 26.6% of patients and in 28.4% of their family members.Discussion The familial rate of myasthenia gravis was higher than would be expected for a sporadic disease. Furthermore, a high proportion of patients had a personal or family history of autoimmune disease. Taken together, these findings suggest a genetic contribution to the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis.

Published
2020
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5. An Italian Neurology Outpatient Clinic Facing SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Data From 2,167 Patients

Author

Carla Piano, Enrico Di Stasio, Guido Primiano, Delfina Janiri, Marco Luigetti, Giovanni Frisullo, Catello Vollono, Matteo Lucchini, Valerio Brunetti, Mauro Monforte, Valeria Guglielmi, Giacomo Della Marca, Amelia Evoli, Camillo Marra, Massimiliano Mirabella, Davide Quaranta, Enzo Ricci, Serenella Servidei, Gabriella Silvestri, Simone Bellavia, Sara Bortolani, Francesco Bove, Riccardo Di Iorio, Andrea Di Paolantonio, Danilo Genovese, Tamara Ialongo, Maria Rita Lo Monaco, Jessica Marotta, Agata Katia Patanella, Alessia Perna, Martina Petracca, Giorgia Presicce, Vittorio Riso, Eleonora Rollo, Angela Romano, Marina Romozzi, Cristina Sancricca, Irene Scala, Gregorio Spagni, Marcella Solito, Luca Tricoli, Paola Zinzi, Paolo Calabresi, and Anna Rita Bentivoglio

Subjects
neurology, infection, coronavirus, pandemic, health care, COVID-19, Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system, RC346-429
Abstract

Objective: Neurological sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection have already been reported, but there is insufficient data about the impact of the pandemic on the management of the patients with chronic neurological diseases. We aim to analyze the effect of COVID-19 pandemic and social restriction rules on these fragile patients.Methods: Patients with chronic neurologic diseases routinely followed at the outpatient clinic of Gemelli University Hospital, Rome, were assessed for symptoms suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the pandemic period, consequences of social restrictions, and neurological disease features, concomitant medical conditions, current medical and disease-specific treatments. Data source: a dedicated telephone survey designed to encompass questions on COVID-19 symptoms and on pandemic effects in chronic neurologic conditions.Results: Overall, 2,167 individuals were analyzed: 63 patients reported contact with COVID-19 positive cases, 41 performed the swab, and 2 symptomatic patients tested positive for COVID-19 (0.09%). One hundred fifty-eight individuals (7%) needed urgent neurological care, deferred due to the pandemic; 641 patients (30%) suspended hospital treatments, physiotherapy or other support interventions; 405 individuals (19%) reported a subjective worsening of neurological symptoms.Conclusions: In our population, the presence of neurological chronic diseases did not increase the prevalence of COVID-19 infection. Nevertheless, the burden of neurological disorders has been worsened by the lockdown.

Published
2020
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6. Long-Lasting Rituximab-Induced Reduction of Specific—But Not Total—IgG4 in MuSK-Positive Myasthenia Gravis

Author

Mariapaola Marino, Umberto Basile, Gregorio Spagni, Cecilia Napodano, Raffaele Iorio, Francesca Gulli, Laura Todi, Carlo Provenzano, Emanuela Bartoccioni, and Amelia Evoli

Subjects
rituximab, antibodies, MuSK, myasthenia gravis, IgG4, short-lived antibody-secreting cells, Immunologic diseases. Allergy, RC581-607
Abstract

The use of rituximab (RTX), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (Ab), in refractory myasthenia gravis (MG) is associated with a better response in patients with Abs to the muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) than in other MG subgroups. Anti-MuSK Abs are mostly IgG4 with proven pathogenicity and positive correlation with clinical severity. The rapid and sustained response to RTX may be related to MuSK Ab production by short-lived Ab-secreting cells derived from specific CD20+ B cells. Here, we investigated the long-term effects of RTX in nine refractory MuSK-MG patients with a follow-up ranging from 17 months to 13 years. In patients’ sera, we titrated MuSK-specific IgG (MuSK-IgG) and MuSK-IgG4, along with total IgG and IgG4 levels. Optimal response to RTX was defined as the achievement and maintenance of the status of minimal manifestations (MM)-or-better together with a ≥ 50% steroid reduction, withdrawal of immunosuppressants, and no need for plasma-exchange or intravenous immunoglobulin. After a course of RTX, eight patients improved, with optimal response in six, while only one patient did not respond. At baseline, MuSK-IgG and MuSK-IgG4 serum titers were positive in all patients, ranging from 2.15 to 49.5 nmol/L and from 0.33 to 46.2 nmol/L, respectively. MuSK Abs mostly consisted of IgG4 (range 63.80–98.86%). RTX administration was followed by a marked reduction of MuSK Abs at 2–7 months and at 12–30 months (p < 0.02 for MuSK-IgG and p < 0.01 for MuSK-IgG4). In patients with a longer follow-up, MuSK Ab titers remained suppressed, paralleling clinical response. In the patient who achieved long-term complete remission, MuSK-IgG4 was no longer detectable within 2 years, while MuSK-IgG remained positive at very low titers up to 10 years after RTX. In the patient who did not respond, MuSK-IgG and MuSK-IgG4 remained unchanged. In this patient series, total IgG and IgG4 transiently decreased (p < 0.05) at 2–7 months after RTX. The different trends of reduction between MuSK-IgG4 and total IgG4 after RTX support the view that short-lived Ab-secreting cells are the main producers of MuSK Abs. The ratio between short-lived Ab-secreting cells and long-lived plasma cells may influence the response to RTX, and B-cell severe depletion may reduce self-maintaining autoimmune reactivity.

Published
2020
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7. Serological Immunoglobulin-Free Light Chain Profile in Myasthenia Gravis Patients

Author

Umberto Basile, Mariapaola Marino, Cecilia Napodano, Krizia Pocino, Paolo Emilio Alboini, Francesca Gulli, Amelia Evoli, Carlo Provenzano, and Emanuela Bartoccioni

Subjects
Immunologic diseases. Allergy, RC581-607
Abstract

Background. Serological levels of free immunoglobulin light chains (FLCs), produced in excess of heavy chains during synthesis of immunoglobulins by plasma cells, can be considered a direct marker of B cell activity in different systemic inflammatory-autoimmune conditions and may represent a useful predictor of rituximab (RTX) therapeutic efficacy, as reported for rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease of the neuromuscular junction with antibodies (abs) targeting the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or the muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK), inducing muscle weakness and excessive fatigability. As MG course may be remarkably variable, we evaluated the possible use of FLCs as biomarkers of disease activity. Subjects and Methods. We assessed FLC levels in 34 sera from 17 AChR-MG and from 13 MuSK-MG patients, in comparison with 20 sera from patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases and 18 from healthy blood donors, along with titers of specific auto-abs and IgG subclass distribution. Results. We found a statistically significant increase in free κ chains in both AChR- and MuSK-MG patients, while free λ chain levels were increased only in AChR-MG. We also observed a significant reduction of both free κ and λ chains in 1/4 MuSK-MG patients along with specific abs titer, two months after RTX treatment. Conclusions. From our data, FLCs appear to be a sensitive marker of B cell activation in MG. Further investigations are necessary to exploit their potential as reliable biomarkers of disease activity.

Published
2018
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8. Flow Cytofluorimetric Analysis of Anti-LRP4 (LDL Receptor-Related Protein 4) Autoantibodies in Italian Patients with Myasthenia Gravis.

Author

Mariapaola Marino, Flavia Scuderi, Daniela Samengo, Giorgia Saltelli, Maria Teresa Maiuri, Chengyong Shen, Lin Mei, Mario Sabatelli, Giovambattista Pani, Giovanni Antonini, Amelia Evoli, and Emanuela Bartoccioni

Subjects
Medicine, Science
Abstract

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease in which 90% of patients have autoantibodies against the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR), while autoantibodies to muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) have been detected in half (5%) of the remaining 10%. Recently, the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4), identified as the agrin receptor, has been recognized as a third autoimmune target in a significant portion of the double sero-negative (dSN) myasthenic individuals, with variable frequency depending on different methods and origin countries of the tested population. There is also convincing experimental evidence that anti-LRP4 autoantibodies may cause MG.The aim of this study was to test the presence and diagnostic significance of anti-LRP4 autoantibodies in an Italian population of 101 myasthenic patients (55 dSN, 23 AChR positive and 23 MuSK positive), 45 healthy blood donors and 40 patients with other neurological diseases as controls. All sera were analyzed by a cell-based antigen assay employing LRP4-transfected HEK293T cells, along with a flow cytofluorimetric detection system.We found a 14.5% (8/55) frequency of positivity in the dSN-MG group and a 13% frequency of co-occurrence (3/23) in both AChR and MuSK positive patients; moreover, we report a younger female prevalence with a mild form of disease in LRP4-positive dSN-MG individuals.Our data confirm LRP4 as a new autoimmune target, supporting the value of including anti-LRP4 antibodies in further studies on Myasthenia gravis.

Published
2015
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10. Safety and efficacy of zilucoplan in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis (RAISE): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study

Author

James F Howard, Saskia Bresch, Angela Genge, Channa Hewamadduma, John Hinton, Yessar Hussain, Raul Juntas-Morales, Henry J Kaminski, Angelina Maniaol, Renato Mantegazza, Masayuki Masuda, Kumaraswamy Sivakumar, Marek Śmiłowski, Kimiaki Utsugisawa, Tuan Vu, Michael D Weiss, Małgorzata Zajda, Babak Boroojerdi, Melissa Brock, Guillemette de la Borderie, Petra W Duda, Romana Lowcock, Mark Vanderkelen, M Isabel Leite, Dylan Sembinelli, Jeanne Teitelbaum, Michael Nicolle, Emilien Bernard, Juliette Svahn, Marco Spinazzi, Tanya Stojkovic, Sophie Demeret, Nicolas Weiss, Loïc Le Guennec, Sihame Messai, Christine Tranchant, Aleksandra Nadaj-Pakleza, Jean-Baptiste Chanson, Muhtadi Suliman, Leila Zaidi, Celine Tard, Peggy Lecointe, Jana Zschüntzsch, Jens Schmidt, Stefanie Glaubitz, Rachel Zeng, Matthias Scholl, Markus Kowarik, Ulf Ziemann, Markus Krumbholz, Pascal Martin, Christoph Ruschil, Jutta Dünschede, Roswitha Kemmner, Natalie Rumpel, Benjamin Berger, Andreas Totzeck, Tim Hagenacker, Benjamin Stolte, Raffaele Iorio, Amelia Evoli, Silvia Falso, Carlo Antozzi, Rita Frangiamore, Fiammetta Vanoli, Elena Rinaldi, Kazushi Deguchi, Naoya Minami, Yuriko Nagane, Yasushi Suzuki, Sayaka Ishida, Shigeaki Suzuki, Jin Nakahara, Astushi Nagaoka, Shunsuke Yoshimura, Shingo Konno, Youko Tsuya, Akiyuki Uzawa, Tomoya Kubota, Masanori Takahashi, Tatsusada Okuno, Hiroyuki Murai, Nils Erik Gilhus, Marion Boldingh, Tone Hakvåg Rønning, Urszula Chyrchel-Paszkiewicz, Klaudiusz Kumor, Tomasz Zielinski, Krzysztof Banaszkiewicz, Michał Błaż, Agata Kłósek, Mariola Świderek-Matysiak, Andrzej Szczudlik, Aneta Paśko, Lech Szczechowski, Marta Banach, Jan Ilkowski, Solange Kapetanovic Garcia, Patricia Ortiz Bagan, Ana Belén Cánovas Segura, Joana Turon Sans, Nuria Vidal Fernandez, Elena Cortes Vicente, Patricia Rodrigo Armenteros, Mohammad Ashraghi, Ana Cavey, Liam Haslam, Anna Emery, Kore Liow, Sharon Yegiaian, Alexandru Barboi, Rosa Maria Vazquez, Joshua Lennon, Robert M Pascuzzi, Cynthia Bodkin, Sandra Guingrich, Adam Comer, Mark Bromberg, Teresa Janecki, Sami Saba, Marco Tellez, Bakri Elsheikh, Miriam Freimer, Sarah Heintzman, Raghav Govindarajan, Jeffrey Guptill, Janice M Massey, Vern Juel, Natalia Gonzalez, Ali A Habib, Tahseen Mozaffar, Manisha Korb, Namita Goyal, Hannah Machemehl, Georgios Manousakis, Jeffrey Allen, Emily Harper, Constantine Farmakidis, Lilli Saavedra, Mazen Dimachkie, Mamatha Pasnoor, Salma Akhter, Said Beydoun, Courtney McIlduff, Joan Nye, Bhaskar Roy, Bailey Munro Sheldon, Richard Nowak, Benjamin Barnes, Michael Rivner, Niraja Suresh, Jessica Shaw, Brittany Harvey, Lucy Lam, Nikki Thomas, Manisha Chopra, Rebecca E Traub, Sarah Jones, Mary Wagoner, Sejla Smajic, Radwa Aly, Jonathan Katz, Henry Chen, Robert G Miller, Liberty Jenkins, Shaida Khan, Bhupendra Khatri, Lisa Sershon, Pantelis Pavlakis, Shara Holzberg, Yuebing Li, Irys B Caristo, Robert Marquardt, Debbie Hastings, Jacob Rube, Robert P Lisak, Aparna Choudhury, Katherine Ruzhansky, Amit Sachdev, Susan Shin, Joan Bratton, Mary Fetter, Naya McKinnon, Jonathan McKinnon, Laura Sissons-Ross, Amos Sahu, and B Jane Distad

Subjects
Neurology (clinical)
Published
2023

12. Reply to the Letter to the Editor in response to 'Role of autoantibody levels as biomarkers in the management of patients with myasthenia gravis: A systematic review and expert appraisal'

Author

Andreas Meisel, Fulvio Baggi, Anthony Behin, Amelia Evoli, Anna Kostera‐Pruszczyk, Renato Mantegazza, Raul Juntas Morales, Anna Rostedt Punga, Sabrina Sacconi, Michael Schroeter, Jan Verschuuren, Louise Crathorne, Kris Holmes, and Maria‐Isabel Leite

Subjects
Neurology, Neurology (clinical)
Published
2023

13. Clinical value of cell-based assays in the characterisation of seronegative myasthenia gravis

Author

Valentina Damato, Gregorio Spagni, Gabriele Monte, Mark Woodhall, Leslie Jacobson, Silvia Falso, Thomas Smith, Raffaele Iorio, Patrick Waters, Sarosh R Irani, Angela Vincent, and Amelia Evoli

Subjects
Adult, Cohort Studies, Psychiatry and Mental health, Myasthenia Gravis, Humans, Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, Receptors, Cholinergic, Surgery, Neurology (clinical), Autoantibodies
Abstract

ObjectivePatients with myasthenia gravis without acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) antibodies detected by radioimmunoprecipitation assays (RIAs) are classified as seronegative myasthenia gravis (SNMG). Live cell-based assays (l-CBAs) can detect additional antibodies to clustered AChR, MuSK and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4), but positivity rates are variable and both clinical relevance and utility of CBA platforms remain unclear.MethodsSera from 82 patients with SNMG were tested by l-CBAs. Human embryonic kidney cells were transfected to individually express clustered AChR, MuSK or LRP4; or transfected to jointly express both clustered adult AChR and MuSK. Sera from 30 and 20 patients positive by RIA for AChR or MuSK antibodies were used as comparators.Results53 of 82 (72%) patients with SNMG had generalised and 29 (28%) had ocular disease. The clustered AChR CBA detected antibodies in 16 of 82 patients (19.5%; including 4 patients with solely fetal AChR antibodies), while 7 of 82 (8.5%) patients had MuSK antibodies. A novel exploratory combined adult AChR-MuSK l-CBA efficiently detected all these antibodies in a subset of the SNMG cohort. No LRP4 antibodies were identified. Overall, patients with SNMG with clustered AChR antibodies, CBA-positive MuSK-MG or triple seronegative were younger, had less severe disease than patients with RIA-positive MG and had a better clinical outcome when immunotherapy was started soon after disease onset, although the time interval from onset to immunotherapy was not different when compared with patients with RIA-positive MG.ConclusionAround one-third of patients with SNMG had AChR or MuSK antibodies by l-CBAs, which were efficiently detected with a combined l-CBA. The results in this large and unselected cohort of patients with MG demonstrate the diagnostic usefulness of performing CBAs and the importance of making these tests more widely available.

Published
2022

14. Thymectomy in severe (Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America classes IV–V) generalized myasthenia gravis: is the game really worth the candle?

Author

Debora Brascia, Marco Lucchi, Vittorio Aprile, Melania Guida, Roberta Ricciardi, Federico Rea, Giovanni Maria Comacchio, Marco Schiavon, Maria Carlotta Marino, Stefano Margaritora, Elisa Meacci, Gregorio Spagni, Amelia Evoli, Giulia Lorenzoni, Giulia De Iaco, Angela De Palma, and Giuseppe Marulli

Subjects
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine, Surgery, General Medicine, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Abstract

OBJECTIVES Total thymectomy in addition to medical treatment is an accepted standard therapy for myasthenia gravis (MG). Patients with severe generalized MG present life-threatening events, poor prognosis and higher risk of postoperative myasthenic crisis. The aim of our study is to investigate neurological and surgical results in patients with Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) class IV and V MG following thymectomy. METHODS Data on 76 MG patients with preoperative MGFA classes IV and V who underwent thymectomy were retrospectively collected. Primary end points included short-term surgical outcomes and long-term neurological results including the achievement of complete stable remission and any improvement as defined by MGFA Post-Intervention Status criteria. RESULTS There were 27 (35.5%) males and 49 (64.5%) females; 53 (69.7%) were classified as MGFA class IV and 23 (30.3%) as class V. Thymectomy was performed through sternotomy in 25 (32.9%) patients, Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in 5 (6.6%) and Robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) in 46 (60.5%). The median operative time was 120 (interquartile range: 95; 148) min. In-hospital mortality was observed in 1 (1.3%) patient and postoperative complications in 14 (18.4%) patients. The median postoperative hospital stay was 4 (interquartile range: 3; 6) days. Pathological examination revealed 31 (40.8%) thymic hyperplasia/other benign and 45 (59.2%) thymomas. Cumulative complete stable remission and improvement probabilities were 20.6% and 83.7% at 5 years and 66.9% and 97.6% at 10 years, respectively. A significant improvement rate was found in patients with age at the time of thymectomy of ≤50 years (P = 0.0236), MGFA class V (P = 0.0154) and acetylcholine receptor antibodies positivity (P = 0.0152). CONCLUSIONS Thymectomy in patients with severe MG yields good perioperative outcomes and satisfactory long-term neurological improvement, especially for patients younger than 50 years, with MGFA class V and anti-AChR+ MG.

Published
2023

15. Safety and tolerability of SARS‐Cov‐2 vaccination in patients with myasthenia gravis: A multicenter experience

Author

Antonio Farina, Silvia Falso, Sara Cornacchini, Gregorio Spagni, Gabriele Monte, Alice Mariottini, Luca Massacesi, Alessandro Barilaro, Amelia Evoli, and Valentina Damato

Subjects
Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, COVID-19 Vaccines, Neurology, SARS-CoV-2, Myasthenia Gravis, Vaccination, COVID-19, Humans, Neurology (clinical), Antibodies, Viral, Pandemics, BNT162 Vaccine, 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273
Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, myasthenia gravis (MG) patients have been identified as subjects at high risk of developing severe COVID-19, and thus were offered vaccination with priority. The lack of direct data on the safety and tolerability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in MG have contributed to vaccine hesitancy. To address this issue, the safety and tolerability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were assessed in a large cohort of MG patients from two referral centers.Patients with confirmed MG diagnosis, consecutively seen between October and December 2021 at two MG centers, were enrolled. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and information regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection/vaccination were extracted from medical reports and/or collected throughout telephonic or in-person interviews.Ninety-eight (94.2%) of 104 patients included were administered at least two vaccine doses 4 weeks before the interview or earlier, and among them, 63 of 98 (64.2%) have already received the "booster" dose. The most frequently used vaccines were BNT162b2-Pfizer-BioNTech and mRNA-1273-Moderna. Overall, only minor side effects were reported, most commonly local pain and fever. MG worsening after vaccination was observed in eight of 104 (7.7%) cases. The frequency of worsening among muscle-specific tyrosine kinase MG cases (3/9, 33.3%) was significantly higher compared to other serological subgroups. Spontaneous symptom regression was observed in six of eight cases. Twelve of 104 (11.5%) patients had SARS-CoV-2 infection, and none of the SARS-CoV-2-infected MG patients worsened after vaccination.Our data support the safety and tolerability of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which should be strongly recommended in MG patients, who could be at higher risk of complications if exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Published
2022

16. Epidemiology, diagnostics, and biomarkers of autoimmune neuromuscular junction disorders

Author

Anna Rostedt Punga, Paul Maddison, Jeannine M Heckmann, Jeffrey T Guptill, and Amelia Evoli

Subjects
Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome, elemyography, prevalence, Myasthenia Gravis, Myasthenia gravis, prevalence, acetylcholine receptor antibodies, elemyography, Humans, Neurology (clinical), acetylcholine receptor antibodies, Neuromuscular Junction Diseases, Biomarkers, Autoantibodies
Abstract

Autoimmune neuromuscular junction disorders are rare. However, myasthenia gravis is being increasingly recognised in people older than 50 years. In the past 5-10 years, epidemiological studies worldwide suggest an incidence of acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive myasthenia gravis of up to 29 cases per 1 million people per year. Muscle-specific tyrosine kinase antibody-positive myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome are about 20 times less common. Several diagnostic methods are available for autoimmune neuromuscular junction disorders, including serological antibody, electrophysiological, imaging, and pharmacological tests. The course of disease can be followed up with internationally accepted clinical scores or patient-reported outcome measures. For prognostic purposes, determining whether the disease is paraneoplastic is of great importance, as myasthenia gravis can be associated with thymoma and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome with small-cell lung cancer. However, despite well defined diagnostic parameters to classify patients into subgroups, objective biomarkers for use in the clinic or in clinical trials to predict the course of myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome are needed.

Published
2022

17. Role of autoantibody levels as biomarkers in the management of patients with myasthenia gravis: A systematic review and expert appraisal

Author

Andreas Meisel, Fulvio Baggi, Anthony Behin, Amelia Evoli, Anna Kostera‐Pruszczyk, Renato Mantegazza, Raul Juntas Morales, Anna Rostedt Punga, Sabrina Sacconi, Michael Schroeter, Jan Verschuuren, Louise Crathorne, Kris Holmes, and Maria‐Isabel Leite

Subjects
myasthenia gravis, Neurology, Neurologi, autoantibodies, Immunoglobulin G, Activities of Daily Living, Humans, biomarkers, Neurology (clinical)
Abstract

Background and purpose Although myasthenia gravis (MG) is recognized as an immunoglobulin G autoantibody-mediated disease, the relationship between autoantibody levels and disease activity in MG is unclear. We sought to evaluate this landscape through systematically assessing the evidence, testing the impact of predefined variables on any relationship, and augmenting with expert opinion. Methods In October 2020, a forum of leading clinicians and researchers in neurology from across Europe (Expert Forum for Rare Autoantibodies in Neurology in Myasthenia Gravis) participated in a series of virtual meetings that took place alongside the conduct of a systematic literature review (SLR). Results Forty-two studies were identified meeting inclusion criteria. Of these, 10 reported some correlation between a patient's autoantibody level and disease severity. Generally, decreased autoantibody levels (acetylcholine receptor, muscle-specific kinase, and titin) were positively and significantly correlated with improvements in disease severity (Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis score, Myasthenia Gravis Composite score, Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living score, Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America classification). Given the limited evidence, testing the impact of predefined variables was not feasible. Conclusions This first SLR to assess whether a correlation exists between autoantibody levels and disease activity in patients with MG has indicated a potential positive correlation, which could have clinical implications in guiding treatment decisions. However, in light of the limited and variable evidence, we cannot currently recommend routine clinical use of autoantibody level testing in this context. For now, patient's characteristics, clinical disease course, and laboratory data (e.g., autoantibody status, thymus histology) should inform management, alongside patient-reported outcomes. We highlight the need for future studies to reach more definitive conclusions on this relationship.

Published
2022

18. Efficacy and safety of rituximab in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disorders compared with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Author

Gregorio Spagni, Bo Sun, Gabriele Monte, Elia Sechi, Raffaele Iorio, Amelia Evoli, and Valentina Damato

Subjects
Psychiatry and Mental health, Surgery, Neurology (clinical)
Abstract

BackgroundRituximab (RTX) efficacy in patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disorders (MOGADs) is still poorly understood, though it appears to be lower than in aquaporin-4-IgG-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (AQP4-IgG+NMOSDs). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the efficacy and safety profile of RTX in patients with MOGAD and to compare RTX efficacy between MOGAD and AQP4-IgG+NMOSD.MethodsWe searched original English-language articles published between 2012 and 2021 in MEDLINE, Cochrane, Central Register of Controlled Trials and clinicaltrials.gov, reporting data on RTX efficacy in patients with MOGAD. The main outcome measures were annualised relapse rate (ARR) and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score mean differences (MDs) after RTX. The meta-analysis was performed with a random effects model. Covariates associated with the outcome measures were analysed with a linear meta-regression.ResultsThe systematic review included 315 patients (138 women, mean onset age 26.8 years) from 32 studies. Nineteen studies (282 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. After RTX, a significant decrease of ARR was found (MD: −0.92, 95% CI –1.24 to –0.60, pConclusionsRTX showed effective in MOGAD, although to a lesser extent than in AQP4-IgG+NMOSD, while the safety profile warrants some caution in its prescription. Randomised-controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings and provide robust evidence to improve treatment strategies in patients with MOGAD.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020175439.

Published
2022

19. Comparison of Fixed and Live Cell-Based Assay for the Detection of AChR and MuSK Antibodies in Myasthenia Gravis

Author

Gregorio Spagni, Matteo Gastaldi, Pietro Businaro, Zeineb Chemkhi, Cinzia Carrozza, Giovanni Mascagna, Silvia Falso, Silvia Scaranzin, Diego Franciotta, Amelia Evoli, and Valentina Damato

Subjects
Cohort Studies, Neurology, Myasthenia Gravis, Humans, Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, Receptors, Cholinergic, Neurology (clinical), Autoantibodies
Abstract

Background and ObjectivesLive cell-based assay (CBA) can detect acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) or muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) antibodies (Abs) in a proportion of patients with radioimmunoassay (RIA)-double seronegative myasthenia gravis (dSN-MG). A commercial fixed CBA for AChR and MuSK Abs has recently become available; however, comparative studies on fixed and live CBAs are lacking. In this study, we compared the performance of fixed and live CBAs in patients with RIA-dSN MG and assessed their sensitivity in RIA-positive MG samples and their specificity.MethodsAChR and MuSK Abs were tested in 292 serum samples from 2 Italian MG referral centers by live and fixed CBAs: 192 from patients with MG and 100 from controls. All samples had been previously assessed by RIA: 66 were AChR positive, 40 MuSK positive, and 86 dSN. All controls were negative. Two independent raters assessed the CBA results. Fixed and live CBAs were compared with the McNemar test; interrater and interlaboratory agreement were assessed with Cohen's kappa or interclass correlation coefficient (ICC), as appropriate.ResultsIn 86 RIA-dSN samples, fixed CBA detected Abs in 10 cases (11.6%, 95% CI 5.7–20.3), whereas live CBA detected Abs in 16 (18.6%, 95% CI 11.0–28.5) (p= 0.0143). Of these sera, those positive by fixed CBA were also positive by live CBA. In addition, live CBA could detect MuSK Abs in 4 and AChR Abs in 2 samples that were negative by fixed CBA, providing an 8% (95% CI 2.9–16.6) further increase in the Ab detection rate. These results were confirmed by flow cytometry. In the RIA-positive cohort, the sensitivity for AChR Abs was 98.5% (95% CI 91.9%–99.9%) for fixed CBA and 100% (95% CI 94.6–100) for live CBA (p= 0.1573). For both assays, the sensitivity for MuSK Abs was 100% (95% CI 91.2–100), and the specificity was 100% (95% CI 96.4–100). Interrater agreement was almost perfect for live and fixed CBAs (Cohen's kappa 0.972 and 0.978, respectively), alike interlaboratory agreement. Interrater agreement for the CBA score ranged from good to excellent (ICC: 0.832–0.973).DiscussionFixed CBA represents a valuable alternative to RIA for AChR and MuSK Ab detection in patients with MG and could be considered as a first-step diagnostic test. Live CBA can be useful in the serologic evaluation of RIA- and fixed CBA-negative samples.

Published
2022

20. Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

Author

Mantegazza, R., Wolfe, G. I., Muppidi, S., Wiendl, H., Fujita, K. P., O'Brien, F. L., Booth, H. D. E., Howard, J. F., Claudio Gabriel Mazia, Miguel, Wilken, Fabio, Barroso, Juliet, Saba, Marcelo, Rugiero, Mariela, Bettini, Marcelo, Chaves, Gonzalo, Vidal, Alejandra Dalila Garcia, Jan De Bleecker, Guy Van den Abeele, Kathy de Koning, Katrien De Mey, Rudy, Mercelis, Délphine, Mahieu, Linda, Wagemaekers, Philip Van Damme, Annelies, Depreitere, Caroline, Schotte, Charlotte, Smetcoren, Olivier, Stevens, Sien Van Daele, Nicolas, Vandenbussche, Annelies, Vanhee, Sarah, Verjans, Jan, Vynckier, Ann, D'Hont, Petra, Tilkin, Alzira Alves de Siqueira Carvalho, Igor Dias Brockhausen, David, Feder, Daniel, Ambrosio, Gabor Lovasamela César, Ana Paula Melo, Renata Martins Ribeiro, Rosana, Rocha, Bruno Bezerra Rosa, Thabata, Veiga, Luiz Augusto da Silva, Murilo Santos Engel, Jordana Gonçalves Geraldo, Maria da Penha Ananias Morita, Erica Nogueira Coelho, Gabriel, Paiva, Marina, Pozo, Natalia, Prando, Debora Dada Martineli Torres, Cristiani Fernanda Butinhao, Gustavo, Duran, Tomás Augusto Suriane Fialho, Tamires Cristina Gomes da Silva, Luiz Otavio Maia Gonçalves, Lucas Eduardo Pazetto, Luciana Renata Cubas Volpe, Luciana Souza Duca, Maurício AndréGheller Friedrich, Alexandre, Guerreiro, Henrique, Mohr, Maurer Pereira Martins, Daiane da Cruz Pacheco, Luciana, Ferreira, Ana Paula Macagnan, Graziela, Pinto, Aline de Cassia Santos, Acary Souza Bulle Oliveira, Ana Carolina Amaral de Andrade, Marcelo, Annes, Liene Duarte Silva, Valeria Cavalcante Lino, Wladimir, Pinto, Natália, Assis, Fernanda, Carrara, Carolina, Miranda, Iandra, Souza, Patrícia, Fernandes, Zaeem, Siddiqi, Cecile, Phan, Jeffrey, Narayan, Derrick, Blackmore, Ashley, Mallon, Rikki, Roderus, Elizabeth, Watt, Stanislav, Vohanka, Josef, Bednarik, Magda, Chmelikova, Marek, Cierny, Stanislava, Toncrova, Jana, Junkerova, Barbora, Kurkova, Katarina, Reguliova, Olga, Zapletalova, Jiri, Pitha, Iveta, Novakova, Michaela, Tyblova, Ivana, Jurajdova, Marcela, Wolfova, Henning, Andersen, Thomas, Harbo, Lotte, Vinge, Susanne, Krogh, Anita, Mogensen, John, Vissing, Joan, Højgaard, Nanna, Witting, Anne Mette Ostergaard Autzen, Jane, Pedersen, Juha-Pekka, Erälinna, Mikko, Laaksonen, Olli, Oksaranta, Tuula, Harrison, Jaana, Eriksson, Csilla, Rozsa, Melinda, Horvath, Gabor, Lovas, Judit, Matolcsi, Gedeonne, Jakab, Gyorgyi, Szabo, Brigitta, Szabadosne, Laszlo, Vecsei, Livia, Dezsi, Edina, Varga, Monika, Konyane, Antonini, Giovanni, Antonella Di Pasquale, Garibaldi, Matteo, Morino, Stefania, Troili, Fernanda, Fionda, Laura, Amelia, Evoli, Paolo Emilio Alboini, Valentina, D'Amato, Raffaele, Iorio, Inghilleri, Maurizio, Frasca, Vittorio, Elena, Giacomelli, Gori, MARIA CRISTINA, Diego, Lopergolo, Onesti, Emanuela, Maria, Gabriele, Francesco, Saccà, Alessandro, Filla, Teresa, Costabile, Enrico, Marano, Angiola, Fasanaro, Angela, Marsili, Giorgia, Puorro, Carlo, Antozzi, Silvia, Bonanno, Giorgia, Camera, Alberta, Locatelli, Lorenzo, Maggi, Maria, Pasanisi, Angela, Campanella, Akiyuki, Uzawa, Tetsuya, Kanai, Naoki, Kawaguchi, Masahiro, Mori, Yoko, Kaneko, Akiko, Kanzaki, Eri, Kobayashi, Hiroyuki, Murai, Katsuhisa, Masaki, Dai, Matsuse, Takuya, Matsushita, Taira, Uehara, Misa, Shimpo, Maki, Jingu, Keiko, Kikutake, Yumiko, Nakamura, Yoshiko, Sano, Kimiaki, Utsugisawa, Yuriko, Nagane, Ikuko, Kamegamori, Tomoko, Tsuda, Yuko, Fujii, Kazumi, Futono, Yukiko, Ozawa, Aya, Mizugami, Yuka, Saito, Makoto, Samukawa, Hidekazu, Suzuki, Miyuki, Morikawa, Sachiko, Kamakura, Eriko, Miyawaki, Meinoshin, Okumura, Soichiro, Funaka, Tomohiro, Kawamura, Masayuki, Nakamori, Masanori, Takahashi, Namie, Taichi, Tomoya, Hasuike, Eriko, Higuchi, Hisako, Kobayashi, Kaori, Osakada, Hirokazu, Shiraishi, Teiichiro, Miyazaki, Masakatsu, Motomura, Akihiro, Mukaino, Shunsuke, Yoshimura, Shizuka, Asada, Seiko, Yoshida, Shoko, Amamoto, Tomomi, Kobashikawa, Megumi, Koga, Maeda, Yasuko, Kazumi, Takada, Mihoko, Takada, Masako, Tsurumaru, Yumi, Yamashita, Yasushi, Suzuki, Tetsuya, Akiyama, Koichi, Narikawa, Ohito, Tano, Kenichi, Tsukita, Rikako, Kurihara, Fumie, Meguro, Yusuke, Fukuda, Miwako, Sato, Tomihiro, Imai, Emiko, Tsuda, Shun, Shimohama, Takashi, Hayashi, Shin, Hisahara, Jun, Kawamata, Takashi, Murahara, Masaki, Saitoh, Shuichiro, Suzuki, Daisuke, Yamamoto, Yoko, Ishiyama, Naoko, Ishiyama, Mayuko, Noshiro, Rumi, Takeyama, Kaori, Uwasa, Ikuko, Yasuda, Anneke van der Kooi, Marianne de Visser, Tamar, Gibson, Byung-Jo, Kim, Chang Nyoung Lee, Yong Seo Koo, Hung Youl Seok, Hoo Nam Kang, Hyejin, Ra, Byoung Joon Kim, Eun Bin Cho, Misong, Choi, Hyelim, Lee, Ju-Hong, Min, Jinmyoung, Seok, Jieun, Lee, Da Yoon Koh, Juyoung, Kwon, Sangae, Park, Eun Haw Choi, Yoon-Ho, Hong, So-Hyun, Ahn, Dae Lim Koo, Jae-Sung, Lim, Chae Won Shin, Ji Ye Hwang, Miri, Kim, Seung Min Kim, Ha-Neul, Jeong, Jinwoo, Jung, Yool-Hee, Kim, Hyung Seok Lee, Ha Young Shin, Eun Bi Hwang, Miju, Shin, Carlos, Casasnovas, Maria Antonia Alberti Aguilo, Christian, Homedes-Pedret, Natalia Julia Palacios, Laura Diez Porras, Valentina Velez Santamaria, Ana, Lazaro, Josep Gamez Carbonell, Pilar, Sune, Maria Salvado Figueras, Gisela, Gili, Gonzalo, Mazuela, Isabel, Illa, Elena Cortes Vicente, Jordi, Diaz-Manera, Luis Antonio Querol Gutiérrez, Ricardo Rojas Garcia, Nuria, Vidal, Elisabet, Arribas-Ibar, Exuperio Diez Tejedor, Pilar Gomez Salcedo, Mireya, Fernandez-Fournier, Pedro Lopez Ruiz, Francisco Javier Rodriguez de Rivera, Maria, Sastre, Fredrik, Piehl, Albert, Hietala, Lena, Bjarbo, Ihsan, Sengun, Arzu, Meherremova, Pinar, Ozcelik, Bengu, Balkan, Celal, Tuga, Muzeyyen, Ugur, Sevim, Erdem-Ozdamar, Can Ebru Bekircan-Kurt, Nazire Pinar Acar, Ezgi, Yilmaz, Yagmur, Caliskan, Gulsah, Orsel, Husnu, Efendi, Seda, Aydinlik, Hakan, Cavus, Ayse, Kutlu, Gulsah, Becerikli, Cansu, Semiz, Ozlem, Tun, Murat, Terzi, Baki, Dogan, Musa Kazim Onar, Sedat, Sen, Tugce Kirbas Cavdar, Adife, Veske, Fiona, Norwood, Aikaterini, Dimitriou, Jakit, Gollogly, Mohamed, Mahdi-Rogers, Arshira, Seddigh, Giannis, Sokratous, Gal, Maier, Faisal, Sohail, Saiju, Jacob, Girija, Sadalage, Pravin, Torane, Claire, Brown, Amna, Shah, Sivakumar, Sathasivam, Heike, Arndt, Debbie, Davies, Dave, Watling, Anthony, Amato, Thomas, Cochrane, Mohammed, Salajegheh, Kristen, Roe, Katherine, Amato, Shirli, Toska, Nicholas, Silvestri, Kara, Patrick, Karen, Zakalik, Jonathan, Katz, Robert, Miller, Marguerite, Engel, Dallas, Forshew, Elena, Bravver, Benjamin, Brooks, Mohammed, Sanjak, Sarah, Plevka, Maryanne, Burdette, Scott, Cunningham, Megan, Kramer, Joanne, Nemeth, Clara, Schommer, Tierney, Scott, Vern, Juel, Jeffrey, Guptill, Lisa, Hobson-Webb, Janice, Massey, Kate, Beck, Donna, Carnes, John, Loor, Amanda, Anderson, Robert, Pascuzzi, Cynthia, Bodkin, John, Kincaid, Riley, Snook, Sandra, Guingrich, Angela, Micheels, Vinay, Chaudhry, Andrea, Corse, Betsy, Mosmiller, Andrea, Kelley, Doreen, Ho, Jayashri, Srinivasan, Michal, Vytopil, Jordan, Jara, Nicholas, Ventura, Cynthia, Carter, Craig, Donahue, Carol, Herbert, Stephanie, Scala, Elaine, Weiner, Sharmeen, Alam, Jonathan, Mckinnon, Laura, Haar, Naya, Mckinnon, Karan, Alcon, Kaitlyn, Mckenna, Nadia, Sattar, Kevin, Daniels, Dennis, Jeffery, Miriam, Freimer, Joseph Chad Hoyle, John, Kissel, Julie, Agriesti, Sharon, Chelnick, Louisa, Mezache, Colleen, Pineda, Filiz, Muharrem, Chafic, Karam, Julie, Khoury, Tessa, Marburger, Harpreet, Kaur, Diana, Dimitrova, James, Gilchrist, Brajesh, Agrawal, Mona, Elsayed, Stephanie, Kohlrus, Angela, Ardoin, Taylor, Darnell, Laura, Golden, Barbara, Lokaitis, Jenna, Seelbach, Neelam, Goyal, Sarada, Sakamuri, Yuen, T So, Shirley, Paulose, Sabrina, Pol, Lesly, Welsh, Ratna, Bhavaraju-Sanka, Alejandro Tobon Gonzalez, Lorraine, Dishman, Floyd, Jones, Anna, Gonzalez, Patricia, Padilla, Amy, Saklad, Marcela, Silva, Sharon, Nations, Jaya, Trivedi, Steve, Hopkins, Mohamed, Kazamel, Mohammad, Alsharabati, Liang, Lu, Kenkichi, Nozaki, Sandi, Mumfrey-Thomas, Amy, Woodall, Tahseen, Mozaffar, Tiyonnoh, Cash, Namita, Goyal, Gulmohor, Roy, Veena, Mathew, Fatima, Maqsood, Brian, Minton, H James Jones, Jeffrey, Rosenfeld, Rebekah, Garcia, Laura, Echevarria, Sonia, Garcia, Michael, Pulley, Shachie, Aranke, Alan Ross Berger, Jaimin, Shah, Yasmeen, Shabbir, Lisa, Smith, Mary, Varghese, Laurie, Gutmann, Ludwig, Gutmann, Nivedita, Jerath, Christopher, Nance, Andrea, Swenson, Heena, Olalde, Nicole, Kressin, Jeri, Sieren, Richard, Barohn, Mazen, Dimachkie, Melanie, Glenn, April, Mcvey, Mamatha, Pasnoor, Jeffery, Statland, Yunxia, Wang, Tina, Liu, Kelley, Emmons, Nicole, Jenci, Jerry, Locheke, Alex, Fondaw, Kathryn, Johns, Gabrielle, Rico, Maureen, Walsh, Laura, Herbelin, Charlene, Hafer-Macko, Justin, Kwan, Lindsay, Zilliox, Karen, Callison, Valerie, Young, Beth, Disanzo, Kerry, Naunton, Michael, Benatar, Martin, Bilsker, Khema, Sharma, Anne, Cooley, Eliana, Reyes, Sara-Claude, Michon, Danielle, Sheldon, Julie, Steele, Rebecca, Traub, Manisha, Chopra, Tuan, Vu, Lara, Katzin, Terry, Mcclain, Brittany, Harvey, Adam, Hart, Kristin, Huynh, Said, Beydoun, Amaiak, Chilingaryan, Victor, Doan, Brian, Droker, Hui, Gong, Sanaz, Karimi, Frank, Lin, Krishna, Polaka, Akshay, Shah, Anh, Tran, Salma, Akhter, Ali, Malekniazi, Rup, Tandan, Michael, Hehir, Waqar, Waheed, Shannon, Lucy, Michael, Weiss, Jane, Distad, Susan, Strom, Sharon, Downing, Bryan, Kim, Tulio, Bertorini, Thomas, Arnold, Kendrick, Henderson, Rekha, Pillai, Liu, Ye, Lauren, Wheeler, Jasmine, Hewlett, Mollie, Vanderhook, Richard, Nowak, Daniel, Dicapua, Benison, Keung, Aditya, Kumar, Huned, Patwa, Kimberly, Robeson, Irene, Yang, Joan, Nye, and Hong, Vu

Subjects
Adult, Male, 0301 basic medicine, medicine.medical_specialty, Clinical Neurology, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Placebo, Article, Antibodies, Post-intervention, law.invention, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Randomized controlled trial, Refractory, law, Internal medicine, Monoclonal, Myasthenia Gravis, Medicine and Health Sciences, Humans, Medicine, Humanized, Science & Technology, business.industry, Middle Aged, Eculizumab, Complement Inactivating Agents, Female, Treatment Outcome, EFFICACY, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, Clinical trial, 030104 developmental biology, SAFETY, Neurosciences & Neurology, Neurology (clinical), business, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, COMPLEMENT INHIBITOR ECULIZUMAB, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, medicine.drug
Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti–acetylcholine receptor–positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension.MethodsPatients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study.ResultsA total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1–4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected.ConclusionEculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population.ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierREGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624.Classification of EvidenceThis study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo.

Published
2020

21. Clinical features and outcome of patients with autoimmune cerebellar ataxia evaluated with the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia

Author

Paolo Calabresi, Lucia Campetella, Vittorio Riso, Gabriella Silvestri, Valentina Damato, Gregorio Spagni, Gianvito Masi, Amelia Evoli, Francesca Andreetta, Guido Primiano, Raffaele Iorio, Marco Luigetti, Eleonora Sabatelli, Andrew McKeon, Gabriele Monte, and Claudia Papi

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, Ataxia, Cerebellar Ataxia, medicine.medical_treatment, Glutamate decarboxylase, Radioimmunoassay, Gastroenterology, mRS score, Article, Mice, Cerebrospinal fluid, Modified Rankin Scale, Internal medicine, medicine, Animals, Humans, Immunologic Factors, Autoantibodies, Cerebellar ataxia, business.industry, Autoantibody, SARA score, Immunotherapy, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Neurology, Etiology, Neurology (clinical), autoimmune cerebellar ataxia, immunotherapy, medicine.symptom, business, paraneoplastic cerebellar syndrome
Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study was undertaken to assess the long-term outcome of patients with paraneoplastic and non paraneoplastic autoimmune cerebellar ataxia (ACA) using the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA). METHODS Patients with subacute cerebellar ataxia admitted to our institution between September 2012 and April 2020 were prospectively recruited. Serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid was tested for neural autoantibodies by indirect immunofluorescence on mouse brain, cell-based assays, and radioimmunoassay. SARA and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score were employed to assess patients' outcome. RESULTS Fifty-five patients were recruited, of whom 23 (42%) met the criteria for cerebellar ataxia of autoimmune etiology. Neural autoantibodies were detected in 22 of 23 patients (Yo-immunoglobulin G [IgG], n = 6; glutamic acid decarboxylase 65-IgG, n = 3; metabotropic glutamate receptor 1-IgG, n = 2; voltage-gated calcium channel P/Q type-IgG, n = 2; Hu-IgG, n = 1; glial fibrillary acidic protein-IgG, n = 1; IgG-binding unclassified antigens, n = 7). Thirteen patients were diagnosed with paraneoplastic cerebellar syndrome (PCS) and 10 with idiopathic ACA. All patients received immunotherapy. Median SARA score was higher in the PCS group at all time points (p = 0.0002), while it decreased significantly within the ACA group (p = 0.049) after immunotherapy. Patients with good outcome (mRS ≤ 2) had less neurological disability (SARA

Published
2022

23. Management of antibody-mediated autoimmune encephalitis in adults and children: literature review and consensus-based practical recommendations

Author

Sergio Ferrari, F. Perini, Matteo Gastaldi, Raffaele Iorio, Marco Zoccarato, Margherita Nosadini, Amelia Evoli, Stefano Sartori, Bruno Giometto, Marianna Spatola, Sara Mariotto, Luigi Zuliani, Diego Franciotta, Piera De Gaspari, Zuliani, L., Nosadini, M., Gastaldi, M., Spatola, M., Iorio, R., Zoccarato, M., Mariotto, S., De Gaspari, P., Perini, F., Ferrari, S., Evoli, A., Sartori, S., Franciotta, D., and Giometto, B.

Subjects
Male, Adult, medicine.medical_specialty, Autoimmune encephalitis, consensus, Neurology, Autoimmune encephalitis, LGI1, NMDAR, NSAb, NSAE, Autoantibodies, Child, Encephalitis, Female, Hashimoto Disease, Humans, Dermatology, 03 medical and health sciences, Autoimmune encephaliti, 0302 clinical medicine, Encephaliti, medicine, 030212 general & internal medicine, Medical diagnosis, Intensive care medicine, biology, business.industry, General Medicine, Autoantibodie, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Psychiatry and Mental health, consensus, biology.protein, Neurology (clinical), Neurosurgery, Antibody, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Human
Abstract

Autoimmune encephalitis associated with antibodies against neuronal surface targets (NSAE) are rare but still underrecognized conditions that affect adult and pediatric patients. Clinical guidelines have recently been published with the aim of providing diagnostic clues regardless of antibody status. These syndromes are potentially treatable but the choice of treatment and its timing, as well as differential diagnoses, long-term management, and clinical and paraclinical follow-up, remain major challenges. In the absence of evidence-based guidelines, management of these conditions is commonly based on single-center expertise. Taking into account different published expert recommendations in addition to the multicenter experience of the Italian Working Group on Autoimmune Encephalitis, both widely accepted and critical aspects of diagnosis, management and particularly of immunotherapy for NSAE have been reviewed and are discussed. Finally, we provide consensus-based practical advice for managing hospitalization and follow-up of patients with NSAE.

Published
2019

24. An update on thymectomy in myasthenia gravis

Author

Amelia Evoli and Elisa Meacci

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, Thymoma, medicine.medical_treatment, Disease, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Settore MED/21 - CHIRURGIA TORACICA, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Humans, Pharmacology (medical), Disease management (health), Intensive care medicine, business.industry, General Neuroscience, Open surgery, Thymectomy, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, 030227 psychiatry, Expert opinion, Observational study, Neurology (clinical), business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

Introduction: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is one of the best treatable autoimmune diseases. However, in most patients, treatment is necessarily long-term and related side effects are a serious burden. Thymectomy has a special place in the disease management as a non-pharmacological disease-modifying therapy. For several decades, its role has only been supported by observational studies. Despite the recently achieved class I evidence, many questions remain unaddressed. Areas covered: This review discusses the pathogenic role of the thymus and evidence and controversies concerning therapeutic thymectomy. It also describes minimally invasive techniques that have largely replaced open surgery and the available evidence in MG patients. Expert opinion: Thymectomy plays a primary role in MG management, though its use is still controversial in some disease subtypes. Patient selection for surgery and adequate pre-operative MG control are critical. Thymectomy must ensure the exeresis of the whole thymus together with peri-thymic fat tissue. Minimally invasive techniques have many advantages over open approaches, provided they are as extensive as trans-sternal thymectomy. The investigation of thymectomy-related biomarkers will contribute to enhance the knowledge of its impact on the specific immune response.

Published
2019

25. Cognitive dysfunction in mice with passively induced MuSK antibody seropositive myasthenia gravis

Author

Liis Sabre, Amelia Evoli, and Anna Rostedt Punga

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, medicine.medical_treatment, Neuromuscular Junction, Neuromuscular junction, Mice, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Internal medicine, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Animals, Hippocampus (mythology), Cognitive Dysfunction, Behavioral, Cognitive dysfunction, Hippocampus, MuSK, Myasthenia, 030212 general & internal medicine, Saline, Muscle Weakness, biology, business.industry, Muscle weakness, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, Barnes maze, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Disease Models, Animal, Endocrinology, medicine.anatomical_structure, Neurology, Immunoglobulin G, biology.protein, Female, Neurology (clinical), medicine.symptom, Antibody, business, Tyrosine kinase, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

Recent reports on cognitive dysfunction, in addition to skeletal muscle fatigue, in muscle-specific tyrosine kinase antibody seropositive (MuSK+) myasthenia gravis (MG) patients led us to study cognition in mice with MuSK+ passive transfer MG (PTMG). Twelve 7-week-old female wild-type C57BL/6J mice were passively immunized with IgG from MuSK+ MG patients and 12 control mice received intraperitoneal saline injections. Mice were evaluated with clinical, neurophysiological and behavioral tests (Barnes maze (BM) and novel object recognition (NOR)), and the muscles were immunostained to evaluate the neuromuscular junction in the end of the study. Two-thirds of the immunized mice developed clinically distinct MuSK+ PTMG. MuSK+ PTMG mice spent less time exploring the novel object in the NOR test (MuSK+ mice 36.4% ± 14.0 vs controls 52.4% ± 13.0, p = .02), unrelated to the muscle weakness and regardless of rodents' innate preference of novelty. In the BM test, control mice were more eager to use the direct strategy than the MuSK+ mice (MuSK+ 17.3% vs controls 29.5%, p = .02). Our findings shed new light on cognition dysfunction in human MuSK+ MG patients and indicate that recognition memory in the perirhinal cortex could be affected in MuSK+ MG.

Published
2019

26. Heterogeneity in myasthenia gravis: considerations for disease management

Author

Gregorio Spagni, Gabriele Monte, Valentina Damato, and Amelia Evoli

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, medicine.medical_treatment, Immunology, Neuromuscular junction, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Immunopathology, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Immunology and Allergy, Humans, Acetylcholine receptor, Autoantibodies, 030203 arthritis & rheumatology, business.industry, Autoantibody, Disease Management, Immunotherapy, medicine.disease, Thymectomy, Myasthenia gravis, 030104 developmental biology, medicine.anatomical_structure, Rituximab, business, Immunosuppressive Agents, Rare disease, medicine.drug
Abstract

Introduction: Myasthenia gravis is a rare disease of the neuromuscular junction and a prototype of B cell-driven immunopathology. Pathogenic antibodies target post-synaptic transmembrane proteins, ...

Published
2021

27. Response to: 'MuSK‐positive myasthenia may be triggered not only by SARS‐CoV‐2'

Author

Ilaria Gandoglia, Andrea Assini, Massimo Del Sette, Klaudio Rikani, Valentina Damato, and Amelia Evoli

Subjects
2019-20 coronavirus outbreak, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), biology, business.industry, viruses, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), virus diseases, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Neurology, Fatty acids.monounsaturated, Immunology, medicine, biology.protein, 030212 general & internal medicine, Neurology (clinical), Antibody, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

We thank Drs Finsterer and Scorza for their comments on our case report "Myasthenia gravis associated with anti-MuSK antibodies developed after SARS-CoV-2 infection". At least 6 patients with new-onset myasthenia gravis (MG) after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have been published so far. In these reports, the latency between the first signs of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and symptoms of MG ranged from 5 to 30 days.

Published
2021

28. Assessing the role of a tissue-based assay in the diagnostic algorithm of autoimmune encephalitis

Author

Gabriele Monte, Gianvito Masi, Amelia Evoli, Claudia Papi, Raffaele Iorio, Gregorio Spagni, Lucia Campetella, and Eleonora Sabatelli

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, Adult, Male, Pathology, medicine.medical_specialty, Adolescent, Immunology, Encephalopathy, 03 medical and health sciences, Young Adult, 0302 clinical medicine, Cerebrospinal fluid, Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System, Paired samples, Screening method, Immunology and Allergy, Medicine, Humans, Child, Aged, Autoantibodies, Retrospective Studies, Autoimmune encephalitis, Aged, 80 and over, Indirect immunofluorescence, business.industry, Autoantibody, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Middle Aged, medicine.disease, 030104 developmental biology, Neurology, Child, Preschool, Encephalitis, Biological Assay, Female, Neurology (clinical), business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Algorithms
Abstract

Tissue-based assay (TBA) is a widely-used method to detect neural autoantibodies, but the diagnostic accuracy for autoimmune encephalitis (AE) has not yet been adequately measured. We retrospectively evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of an indirect immunofluorescence TBA (IIF-TBA) in 159 patients with suspected AE. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were collected and tested from December 2012 to September 2020. In the paired sample analysis, serum testing showed higher sensitivity than CSF, while the latter had higher specificity. Based on these results, we clarify the advantages of using a TBA as the principal screening method for patients with suspected AE.

Published
2021

29. Cholinergic hyperactivity in patients with myasthenia gravis with MuSK antibodies: A neurophysiological study

Author

Gregorio Spagni, Alessia Mastrorosa, Amelia Evoli, and Anna Modoni

Subjects
Adult, Male, medicine.medical_specialty, Adolescent, Population, Action Potentials, Gastroenterology, 050105 experimental psychology, Fasciculation, 03 medical and health sciences, Young Adult, 0302 clinical medicine, Physiology (medical), Internal medicine, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Humans, 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences, Receptors, Cholinergic, Repetitive nerve stimulation, education, Aged, Autoantibodies, Retrospective Studies, Aged, 80 and over, education.field_of_study, business.industry, Electromyography, 05 social sciences, Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, Middle Aged, medicine.disease, Sensory Systems, Myasthenia gravis, Cholinergic Neurons, Compound muscle action potential, Neurology, Pyridostigmine, Acetylcholinesterase, Cholinergic, Female, Neurology (clinical), Cholinesterase Inhibitors, medicine.symptom, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, medicine.drug, Muscle cramp, Follow-Up Studies
Abstract

Objective Patients with myasthenia gravis associated with muscle-specific tyrosine kinase antibodies (MuSK-MG) often manifest signs of cholinergic hyperactivity with standard doses of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChE-Is). Aim of the study was to investigate whether repetitive compound muscle action potential (R-CMAP), the neurophysiological correlate of cholinergic hyperactivity, was present in MuSK-MG irrespective of AChE-I treatment. Methods Patients with confirmed diagnosis of MuSK-MG were consecutively enrolled during follow-up visits, from January 2019 to April 2020. All these subjects underwent the same neurophysiological protocol, including motor nerve conduction studies and repetitive nerve stimulation. In patients taking pyridostigmine, neurophysiological testing was performed at least 12 hours after the last dose. For comparison, the presence of R-CMAP was investigated in 20 consecutive acetylcholine receptor antibody positive myasthenia gravis (AChR-MG) patients. Results We enrolled 25 MuSK-MG patients (20 females), aged 16–79 years at the study time, with disease duration ranging 0.6–48.8 years (median: 17.7 years). R-CMAP was detected in 12/25 (48%) MuSK-MG cases and in none of the AChR-MG controls (p = 0.0003). In the MuSK-MG population, a history of muscle cramps and fasciculations, during low-dose pyridostigmine therapy, was significantly more frequent in R-CMAP positive than in R-CMAP negative patients (100% vs 31%, p = 0.001). At the time of the study, the proportion of patients still symptomatic for MG was higher among R-CMAP positive cases (92% vs 23%, p = 0.0005). Conclusions Cholinergic hyperactivity is a relatively common finding in MuSK-MG patients, independent of AChE-I treatment, and may constitute an intrinsic feature of the disease. Significance R-CMAP detection can represent a useful diagnostic clue for MuSK-MG and predicts poor tolerance to AChE-Is.

Published
2021

30. Benefit and danger from immunotherapy in myasthenia gravis

Author

Amelia Evoli, Valentina Damato, Giovanni Antonini, Giulia Nicocia, Rocco Liguori, Carmelo Rodolico, Rodolico C., Nicocia G., Damato V., Antonini G., Liguori R., and Evoli A.

Subjects
Checkpoint inhibitors, Emerging therapy, Immunotherapy, Refractory myasthenia gravis, medicine.medical_treatment, Immune checkpoint inhibitors, Dermatology, Review Article, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Neonatal Fc receptor, Checkpoint inhibitor, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Humans, Immunologic Factors, 030212 general & internal medicine, Adverse effect, B-Lymphocytes, business.industry, Infant, Newborn, Complement Inhibitors, General Medicine, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, Psychiatry and Mental health, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Immunology, Neurology (clinical), business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

In the last years, significant advances have improved the knowledge of myasthenia gravis (MG) immunopathogenesis and have enabled to realize new molecules with a selective action targeting compounds of the immunological system. This review discusses emerging treatments for MG, including complement inhibitors, neonatal Fc receptor targeting agents, and B cell interfering drugs, focusing on benefit and danger. In the second section of the review, several related adverse events of immunotherapy, including MGonset, are debated.

Published
2021

31. Acetylcholine receptor antibody positivity rate in ocular myasthenia gravis: a matter of age?

Author

Mariapaola Marino, Valentina Damato, Gregorio Spagni, Gabriele Monte, Raffaele Iorio, and Amelia Evoli

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, Thymoma, Ocular myasthenia, Population, Gastroenterology, Settore MED/05 - PATOLOGIA CLINICA, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Internal medicine, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Acetylcholine receptor antibody positivity, Humans, Receptors, Cholinergic, 030212 general & internal medicine, education, Ocular myasthenia gravis, Autoantibodies, education.field_of_study, biology, business.industry, Radioimmunoassay, Thymus Neoplasms, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, Late-onset disease, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Neurology, Anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody, biology.protein, Neurology (clinical), Age of onset, Antibody, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

Anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChR Abs) are detected in 85% of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, at higher rates in patients with late-onset disease. AChR Ab frequency is generally thought to be much lower in ocular MG (OMG), although recent studies reported positivity rates higher than 70%. We hypothesized that the improved AChR Ab diagnostic yield in OMG could be related to an increased frequency of late-onset disease, as observed in generalized MG. We compared OMG patients, with disease onset before or after 1998, for the age of onset, sex, presence of thymoma, immunosuppressive therapy rate, AChR Ab positivity, and follow-up duration. All patients had a follow-up ≥ 2 years. AChR Abs were tested by radioimmunoassay. The study included 133 patients. Disease onset occurred before 1998 in 54/133 cases (41%). Age of onset, the proportion of late-onset patients, and AChR Ab positivity rate were significantly increased in the more recent population. Thymoma frequency was similar in the two series. On multivariate analysis, the only variable predicting AChR Ab positivity was the age at onset ≥ 50 years (OR = 6.50, 95% CI = 2.70–15.63, p

Published
2021

32. International Consensus Guidance for Management of Myasthenia Gravis: 2020 Update

Author

Nancy L. Kuntz, Michael W. Nicolle, Arthur Melms, Jacqueline A. Palace, Gil I. Wolfe, Janice M. Massey, Donald B. Sanders, J. Verschuuren, Amelia Evoli, Pushpa Narayanaswami, Gabriel Cea, David P. Richman, Isabel Illa, Michael Benatar, Hiroyuki Murai, and Nils Erik Gilhus

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, Consensus, Immune checkpoint inhibitors, media_common.quotation_subject, Clinical Sciences, MEDLINE, 030204 cardiovascular system & hematology, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Autoimmune Disease, Antibodies, law.invention, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Rare Diseases, law, Voting, Myasthenia Gravis, Monoclonal, medicine, Humans, Disease management (health), Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Humanized, media_common, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Task force, business.industry, Neurosciences, Foundation (evidence), Disease Management, medicine.disease, Thymectomy, Myasthenia gravis, 3. Good health, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Methotrexate, Family medicine, CLARITY, Cognitive Sciences, Neurology (clinical), business, Rituximab, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Immunosuppressive Agents
Abstract

ObjectiveTo update the 2016 formal consensus-based guidance for the management of myasthenia gravis (MG) based on the latest evidence in the literature.MethodsIn October 2013, the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America appointed a Task Force to develop treatment guidance for MG, and a panel of 15 international experts was convened. The RAND/UCLA appropriateness method was used to develop consensus recommendations pertaining to 7 treatment topics. In February 2019, the international panel was reconvened with the addition of one member to represent South America. All previous recommendations were reviewed for currency, and new consensus recommendations were developed on topics that required inclusion or updates based on the recent literature. Up to 3 rounds of anonymous e-mail votes were used to reach consensus, with modifications to recommendations between rounds based on the panel input. A simple majority vote (80% of panel members voting “yes”) was used to approve minor changes in grammar and syntax to improve clarity.ResultsThe previous recommendations for thymectomy were updated. New recommendations were developed for the use of rituximab, eculizumab, and methotrexate as well as for the following topics: early immunosuppression in ocular MG and MG associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment.ConclusionThis updated formal consensus guidance of international MG experts, based on new evidence, provides recommendations to clinicians caring for patients with MG worldwide.

Published
2021

33. Epidemiological evidence for a hereditary contribution to myasthenia gravis: a retrospective cohort study of patients from North America

Author

Zaeem A. Siddiqi, Robert M. Pascuzzi, Mazen M. Dimachkie, David P. Richman, Richard J. Barohn, Srikanth Muppidi, Michael Benatar, Julaine Florence, M Marino, Michelanglo Maestri, Vinay Chaudhry, Theresa Jiwa, Joshua D. Green, Roberta Ricciardi, Wilma J. Koopman, Joel Oger, Bernadette Lipscomb, Daniel B. Drachman, Manisha Chopra, Amelia Evoli, Derrick Blackmore, Julie Rowin, Gil I. Wolfe, Donald B. Sanders, Michelle M. Mezei, Carlo Provenzano, Henry J. Kaminski, Andrea M. Corse, Aimee Soloway, John T. Kissel, Alan Pestronk, Janice M. Massey, Emanuela Bartoccion, Miriam Freimer, Michael W. Nicolle, Charlie Wulf, April McVey, James F. Howard, Mamatha Pasnoor, and Bryan J. Traynor

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, Pediatrics, Neuromuscular disease, Neurology, Clinical Sciences, Neurogenetics, Neurodegenerative, Autoimmune Disease, Settore MED/05 - PATOLOGIA CLINICA, Rare Diseases, Clinical Research, immune system diseases, Epidemiology, Myasthenia Gravis, Receptors, medicine, Genetics, Humans, 2.1 Biological and endogenous factors, Receptors, Cholinergic, genetics, Family history, Aetiology, neurogenetics, Cholinergic, Autoantibodies, Retrospective Studies, Autoimmune disease, Other Medical and Health Sciences, business.industry, neurology, Neurosciences, Retrospective cohort study, General Medicine, neuromuscular disease, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, nervous system diseases, North America, Public Health and Health Services, Medicine, epidemiology, business
Abstract

ObjectivesTo approximate the rate of familial myasthenia gravis and the coexistence of other autoimmune disorders in the patients and their families.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingClinics across North America.ParticipantsThe study included 1032 patients diagnosed with acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChR)-positive myasthenia gravis.MethodsPhenotype information of 1032 patients diagnosed with AChR-positive myasthenia gravis was obtained from clinics at 14 centres across North America between January 2010 and January 2011. A critical review of the epidemiological literature on the familial rate of myasthenia gravis was also performed.ResultsAmong 1032 patients, 58 (5.6%) reported a family history of myasthenia gravis. A history of autoimmune diseases was present in 26.6% of patients and in 28.4% of their family members.DiscussionThe familial rate of myasthenia gravis was higher than would be expected for a sporadic disease. Furthermore, a high proportion of patients had a personal or family history of autoimmune disease. Taken together, these findings suggest a genetic contribution to the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis.

Published
2020

34. 242nd ENMC International Workshop: Diagnosis and management of juvenile myasthenia gravis Hoofddorp, the Netherlands, 1-3 March 2019

Author

Pinki Munot, Stephanie A. Robb, Erik H. Niks, Jacqueline Palace, Erik Niks, Stephanie Robb, Amelia Evoli, Andrea Klein, Pedro Rodriquez Cruz, Bruno Eymard, Heinz Jungbluth, Corrie Erasmus, Adela Della Marina, Fulvio Baggi, Nancy Kuntz, Malene Børresen, Imelda Hughes, Sithara Ramdas, Monique Ryan, and Matthew Pitt

Subjects
Pediatrics, medicine.medical_specialty, business.industry, Juvenile, Guidelines, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Neurology, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Neurology (clinical), business, Genetics (clinical)
Published
2020

35. Subgroup comparison according to clinical phenotype and serostatus in autoimmune encephalitis: a multicenter retrospective study

Author

Marco Zoccarato, Stefano Ricci, Luca Massacesi, Carla Arbasino, Luigi Zuliani, P. De Gaspari, M. Di Filippo, Federico Massa, Riccardo Di Iorio, S. Bova, Alessandro Barilaro, Diego Franciotta, Gregorio Spagni, Rocco Liguori, Amelia Evoli, Luana Benedetti, Laura Papetti, Marco Mauri, Enrico Marchioni, Silvia Casagrande, Sara Mariotto, Maria Pia Giannoccaro, Caterina Lapucci, Maurizio Versino, Massimiliano Valeriani, Michele Romoli, Federico Vigevano, Stefano Sartori, Margherita Nosadini, Bruno Giometto, Matteo Gastaldi, Sergio Ferrari, Gastaldi, M., Mariotto, S., Giannoccaro, M. P., Iorio, R., Zoccarato, M., Nosadini, M., Benedetti, L., Casagrande, S., Di Filippo, M., Valeriani, M., Ricci, S., Bova, S., Arbasino, C., Mauri, M., Versino, M., Vigevano, F., Papetti, L., Romoli, M., Lapucci, C., Massa, F., Sartori, S., Zuliani, L., Barilaro, A., De Gaspari, P., Spagni, G., Evoli, A., Liguori, R., Ferrari, S., Marchioni, E., Giometto, B., Massacesi, L., and Franciotta, D.

Subjects
Male, 0302 clinical medicine, Prednisone, Retrospective Studie, Receptors, 80 and over, Infectious encephalitis, 030212 general & internal medicine, Autoimmune encephalitis, Child, Neurons, Aged, 80 and over, Limbic encephalitis, Middle Aged, neuronal antibodies, Immunohistochemistry, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Phenotype, Neurology, Child, Preschool, diagnostic criteria, immunotherapy, Encephalitis, Rituximab, Female, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, medicine.drug, Human, Adult, medicine.medical_specialty, Adolescent, Hashimoto Disease, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, 03 medical and health sciences, Young Adult, Aged, Humans, Infant, Retrospective Studies, Internal medicine, Encephaliti, medicine, Preschool, business.industry, Retrospective cohort study, Odds ratio, Neuron, medicine.disease, Neurology (clinical), business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, neuronal antibodie
Abstract

Background and purpose : Autoimmune encephalitides (AE) include a spectrum of neurological disorders whose diagnosis revolves around the detection of neuronal antibodies (Abs). Consensus-based diagnostic criteria (AE-DC) allow clinic-serological subgrouping of AE, with unclear prognostic implications. The impact of AE-DC on patients’ management was studied, focusing on the subgroupofAb-negative-AE. Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter study on patients fulfilling AE-DC. All patients underwent Ab testing with commercial cell-based assays (CBAs) and, when available, in-house assays (immunohistochemistry, live/fixed CBAs, neuronal cultures) that contributed to defining final categories. Patients were classified as Ab-positive-AE [N-methyl-d-aspartate-receptor encephalitis (NMDAR-E), Ab-positive limbic encephalitis (LE), definite-AE] or Ab-negative-AE (Ab-negative-LE, probable-AE, possible-AE). Results: Commercial CBAs detected neuronal Abs in 70/118 (59.3%) patients. Testing 37/48 Ab-negative cases, in-house assays identified Abs in 11 patients (29.7%). A hundred and eighteen patients fulfilled the AE-DC, 81 (68.6%) with Ab-positive-AE (Ab-positive-LE, 40; NMDAR-E, 32; definite-AE, nine) and 37 (31.4%) with Ab-negative-AE (Ab-negative-LE, 17; probable/possible-AE, 20). Clinical phenotypes were similar in Ab-positive-LE versus Ab-negative-LE. Twenty-four/118 (20.3%) patients had tumors, and 19/118 (16.1%) relapsed, regardless of being Ab-positive or Ab-negative. Ab-positive-AE patients were treated earlier than Ab-negative-AE patients (P=0.045), responded more frequently to treatments (92.3% vs. 65.6%, P&nbsp

Published
2020

36. Clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with autoimmune encephalitis: clues for paraneoplastic aetiology

Author

Gabriele Monte, Gianvito Masi, G. Della Marca, Valentina Damato, Catello Vollono, Lucia Campetella, Raffaele Iorio, Amelia Evoli, Gregorio Spagni, and Claudia Papi

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, medicine.medical_treatment, Encephalopathy, Hashimoto Disease, Gastroenterology, 03 medical and health sciences, Mice, 0302 clinical medicine, Cerebrospinal fluid, Modified Rankin Scale, Internal medicine, medicine, Animals, Humans, autoimmune diseases, 030212 general & internal medicine, Autoantibodies, Autoimmune encephalitis, business.industry, Autoantibody, Cancer, Immunosuppression, medicine.disease, autoantibodies, Rats, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Neurology, Etiology, Encephalitis, Neurology (clinical), business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

Background and purpose Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) represents a complex syndrome with diverse clinical manifestations and therapeutic outcomes. The aim of this study was to report the clinical characteristics and the long-term outcome of patients with paraneoplastic and idiopathic AE. Methods All patients with subacute encephalopathy admitted to the Neurology Department of our Institution from January 2012 to May 2019 were consecutively enrolled. Patients' serum and cerebrospinal fluid were tested for neural-specific autoantibodies by indirect immunofluorescence assays on mouse brain, rat neurons, cell-based assays and immunoblots. Outcome was assessed by the modified Rankin Scale score. Results From 107 adult patients with subacute encephalopathy, 50 patients were finally diagnosed with AE. Neural antibodies (Abs) were detected in 45/50 patients (90%). Leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1 immunoglobulin G was the most frequent (6/50, 12%) Ab specific to neural surface antigens detected in adults with AE. Paraneoplastic encephalitis was diagnosed in 16/50 patients (32%). The presence of bilateral temporal lobe lesions on magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid restricted oligoclonal bands was associated with a higher probability to detect cancer at the time of AE diagnosis. All patients with Abs to neural surface antigens had a good outcome at last follow-up. Severe disability at AE onset and the lack of long-term immunosuppression predicted a poor outcome. Conclusions Leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1 immunoglobulin G was the most frequent Ab detected. Patients with bilateral temporal lobe lesions and oligoclonal bands have a higher probability to harbour an occult tumour. In these patients, a strict surveillance and monitoring for cancer detection is recommended.

Published
2019

37. Long-term efficacy and safety of eculizumab in Japanese patients with generalized myasthenia gravis: A subgroup analysis of the REGAIN open-label extension study

Author

Hiroyuki Murai, Akiyuki Uzawa, Yasushi Suzuki, Tomihiro Imai, Hirokazu Shiraishi, Hidekazu Suzuki, Meinoshin Okumura, Fanny O’Brien, Jing-Jing Wang, Kenji P. Fujita, Kimiaki Utsugisawa, Claudio Gabriel Mazia, Miguel Wilken, Fabio Barroso, Juliet Saba, Marcelo Rugiero, Mariela Bettini, Marcelo Chaves, Gonzalo Vidal, Alejandra Dalila Garcia, Jan De Bleecker, Guy Van den Abeele, Kathy de Koning, Katrien De Mey, Rudy Mercelis, Délphine Mahieu, Linda Wagemaekers, Philip Van Damme, Annelies Depreitere, Caroline Schotte, Charlotte Smetcoren, Olivier Stevens, Sien Van Daele, Nicolas Vandenbussche, Annelies Vanhee, Sarah Verjans, Jan Vynckier, Ann D'Hondt, Petra Tilkin, Alzira Alves de Siqueira Carvalho, Igor Dias Brockhausen, David Feder, Daniel Ambrosio, Pamela César, Ana Paula Melo, Renata Martins Ribeiro, Rosana Rocha, Bruno Bezerra Rosa, Thabata Veiga, Luiz Augusto da Silva, Murilo Santos Engel, Jordana Gonçalves Geraldo, Maria da Penha Ananias Morita, Erica Nogueira Coelho, Gabriel Paiva, Marina Pozo, Natalia Prando, Debora Dada Martineli Torres, Cristiani Fernanda Butinhao, Gustavo Duran, Tamires Cristina Gomes da Silva, Luiz Otavio Maia Gonçalves, Lucas Eduardo Pazetto, Tomás Augusto Suriane Fialho, Luciana Renata Cubas Volpe, Luciana Souza Duca, Acary Souza Bulle Oliveira, Ana Carolina Amaral Andrade, Marcelo Annes, Liene Duarte Silva, Valeria Cavalcante Lino, Wladimir Pinto, Natália Assis, Fernanda Carrara, Carolina Miranda, Iandra Souza, Patricia Fernandes, Zaeem Siddiqi, Cecile Phan, Jeffrey Narayan, Derrick Blackmore, Ashley Mallon, Rikki Roderus, Elizabeth Watt, Jana Junkerova, Barbora Kurkova, Katarina Reguliova, Olga Zapletalova, Jiri Pitha, Iveta Novakova, Michaela Tyblova, Ivana Jurajdova, Marcela Wolfova, Henning Andersen, Thomas Harbo, Lotte Vinge, Susanne Krogh, Anita Mogensen, John Vissing, Joan Højgaard, Nanna Witting, Anne Mette Ostergaard Autzen, Jane Pedersen, Juha-Pekka Eralinna, Mikko Laaksonen, Olli Oksaranta, Tuula Harrison, Jaana Eriksson, Csilla Rozsa, Melinda Horvath, Gabor Lovas, Judit Matolcsi, Gyorgyi Szabo, Gedeonne Jakab, Brigitta Szabadosne, Giovanni Antonini, Antonella Di Pasquale, Matteo Garibaldi, Stefania Morino, Fernanda Troili, Laura Fionda, Allessandro Filla, Teresa Costabile, Enrico Marano, Francesco Saccà, Angiola Fasanaro, Angela Marsili, Giorgia Puorro, Renato Mantegazza, Carlo Antozzi, Silvia Bonanno, Giorgia Camera, Alberta Locatelli, Lorenzo Maggi, Maria Pasanisi, Angela Campanella, Amelia Evoli, Paolo Emilio Alboini, Valentina D'Amato, Raffaele Iorio, Tetsuya Kanai, Naoki Kawaguchi, Masahiro Mori, Yoko Kaneko, Akiko Kanzaki, Eri Kobayashi, Katsuhisa Masaki, Dai Matsuse, Takuya Matsushita, Taira Uehara, Misa Shimpo, Maki Jingu, Keiko Kikutake, Yumiko Nakamura, Yoshiko Sano, Yuriko Nagane, Ikuko Kamegamori, Tomoko Tsuda, Yuko Fujii, Kazumi Futono, Yukiko Ozawa, Aya Mizugami, Yuka Saito, Miyuki Morikawa, Makoto Samukawa, Sachiko Kamakura, Eriko Miyawaki, Teiichiro Mitazaki, Masakatsu Motomura, Akihiro Mukaino, Shunsuke Yoshimura, Shizuka Asada, Seiko Yoshida, Shoko Amamoto, Tomomi Kobashikawa, Megumi Koga, Yasuko Maeda, Kazumi Takada, Mihoko Takada, Masako Tsurumaru, Yumi Yamashita, Tetsuya Akiyama, Koichi Narikawa, Ohito Tano, Kenichi Tsukita, Rikako Kurihara, Fumie Meguro, Yusuke Fukuda, Miwako Sato, Soichiro Funaka, Tomohiro Kawamura, Masayuki Makamori, Masanori Takahashi, Namie Taichi, Tomoya Hasuike, Eriko Higuchi, Hisako Kobayashi, Kaori Osakada, Emiko Tsuda, Shun Shimohama, Takashi Hayashi, Shin Hisahara, Jun Kawamata, Takashi Murahara, Masaki Saitoh, Shuichiro Suzuki, Daisuke Yamamoto, Yoko Ishiyama, Naoko Ishiyama, Mayuko Noshiro, Rumi Takeyama, Kaori Uwasa, Ikuko Yasuda, Anneke van der Kooi, Marianne de Visser, Tamar Gibson, Carlos Casasnovas, Maria Antonia Alberti Aguilo, Christian Homedes-Pedret, Natalia Julia Palacios, Laura Diez Porras, Valentina Velez Santamaria, Ana Lazaro, Exuperio Diez Tejedor, Pilar Gomez Salcedo, Mireya Fernandez-Fournier, Pedro Lopez Ruiz, Francisco Javier Rodriguez de Rivera, Maria Sastre, Josep Gamez, Pilar Sune, Maria Salvado, Gisela Gili, Gonzalo Mazuela, Isabel Illa, Elena Cortes Vicente, Jordi Diaz-Manera, Luis Antonio Querol Gutierrez, Ricardo Rojas Garcia, Nuria Vidal, Elisabet Arribas-Ibar, Fredrik Piehl, Albert Hietala, Lena Bjarbo, Ihsan Sengun, Arzu Meherremova, Pinar Ozcelik, Bengu Balkan, Celal Tuga, Muzeyyen Ugur, Sevim Erdem-Ozdamar, Can Ebru Bekircan-Kurt, Nazire Pinar Acar, Ezgi Yilmaz, Yagmur Caliskan, Gulsah Orsel, Husnu Efendi, Seda Aydinlik, Hakan Cavus, Ayse Kutlu, Gulsah Becerikli, Cansu Semiz, Ozlem Tun, Murat Terzi, Baki Dogan, Musa Kazim Onar, Sedat Sen, Tugce Kirbas Cavdar, Adife Veske, Fiona Norwood, Aikaterini Dimitriou, Jakit Gollogly, Mohamed Mahdi-Rogers, Arshira Seddigh, Giannis Sokratous, Gal Maier, Faisal Sohail, Saiju Jacob, Girija Sadalage, Pravin Torane, Claire Brown, Amna Shah, Sivakumar Sathasivam, Heike Arndt, Debbie Davies, Dave Watling, Anthony Amato, Thomas Cochrane, Mohammed Salajegheh, Kristen Roe, Katherine Amato, Shirli Toska, Gil Wolfe, Nicholas Silvestri, Kara Patrick, Karen Zakalik, Jonathan Katz, Robert Miller, Marguerite Engel, Dallas Forshew, Elena Bravver, Benjamin Brooks, Sarah Plevka, Maryanne Burdette, Scott Cunningham, Mohammad Sanjak, Megan Kramer, Joanne Nemeth, Clara Schommer, Scott Tierney, Vern Juel, Jeffrey Guptill, Lisa Hobson-Webb, Janice Massey, Kate Beck, Donna Carnes, John Loor, Amanda Anderson, Robert Pascuzzi, Cynthia Bodkin, John Kincaid, Riley Snook, Sandra Guingrich, Angela Micheels, Vinay Chaudhry, Andrea Corse, Betsy Mosmiller, Andrea Kelley, Doreen Ho, Jayashri Srinivasan, Michal Vytopil, Jordan Jara, Nicholas Ventura, Stephanie Scala, Cynthia Carter, Craig Donahue, Carol Herbert, Elaine Weiner, Sharmeen Alam, Jonathan McKinnon, Laura Haar, Naya McKinnon, Karan Alcon, Kaitlyn McKenna, Nadia Sattar, Kevin Daniels, Dennis Jeffery, Miriam Freimer, Joseph Chad Hoyle, John Kissel, Julie Agriesti, Sharon Chelnick, Louisa Mezache, Colleen Pineda, Filiz Muharrem, Chafic Karam, Julie Khoury, Tessa Marburger, Harpreet Kaur, Diana Dimitrova, James Gilchrist, Brajesh Agrawal, Mona Elsayed, Stephanie Kohlrus, Angela Andoin, Taylor Darnell, Laura Golden, Barbara Lokaitis, Jenna Seelback, Srikanth Muppidi, Neelam Goyal, Sarada Sakamuri, Yuen T. So, Shirley Paulose, Sabrina Pol, Lesly Welsh, Ratna Bhavaraju-Sanka, Alejandro Tobon Gonzales, Lorraine Dishman, Floyd Jones, Anna Gonzalez, Patricia Padilla, Amy Saklad, Marcela Silva, Mohamed Kazamel, Mohammad Alsharabati, Liang Lu, Kenkichi Nozaki, Sandi Mumfrey-Thomas, Amy Woodall, Tahseen Mozaffar, Tiyonnoh Cash, Namita Goyal, Gulmohor Roy, Veena Mathew, Fatima Maqsood, Brian Minton, H. James Jones, Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Rebekah Garcia, Laura Echevarria, Sonia Garcia, Michael Pulley, Shachie Aranke, Alan Ross Berger, Jaimin Shah, Yasmeen Shabbir, Lisa Smith, Mary Varghese, Laurie Gutmann, Ludwig Gutmann, Nivedita Jerath, Christopher Nance, Andrea Swenson, Heena Olalde, Nicole Kressin, Jeri Sieren, Richard Barohn, Mazen Dimachkie, Melanie Glenn, April McVey, Mamatha Pasnoor, Jeffery Statland, Yunxia Wang, Tina Liu, Kelley Emmons, Nicole Jenci, Jerry Locheke, Alex Fondaw, Kathryn Johns, Gabrielle Rico, Maureen Walsh, Laura Herbelin, Charlene Hafer-Macko, Justin Kwan, Lindsay Zilliox, Karen Callison, Valerie Young, Beth DiSanzo, Kerry Naunton, Michael Benatar, Martin Bilsker, Khema Sharma, Anne Cooley, Eliana Reyes, Sara-Claude Michon, Danielle Sheldon, Julie Steele, James Howard Jr, Manisha Chopra, Rebecca Traub, Tuan Vu, Lara Katzin, Terry McClain, Brittany Harvey, Adam Hart, Kristin Huynh, Said Beydoun, Amaiak Chilingaryan, Victor Doan, Brian Droker, Hui Gong, Sanaz Karimi, Frank Lin, Krishna Pokala, Akshay Shah, Anh Tran, Salma Akhter, Ali Malekniazi, Rup Tandan, Michael Hehir, Waqar Waheed, Shannon Lucy, Michael Weiss, Jane Distad, Susan Strom, Sharon Downing, Bryan Kim, Richard Nowak, Daniel Dicapua, Benison Keung, Aditya Kumar, Huned Patwa, Kimberly Robeson, Irene Yang, Joan Nye, Hong Vu, H., Murai, A., Uzawa, Y., Suzuki, T., Imai, H., Shiraishi, H., Suzuki, M., Okumura, F., O'Brien, J. -J., Wang, K. P., Fujita, K., Utsugisawa, Gabriel Mazia 11, Claudio, Wilken 11, Miguel, Barroso 11, Fabio, Saba 11, Juliet, Rugiero 12, Marcelo, Bettini 12, Mariela, Chaves 12, Marcelo, Vidal 12, Gonzalo, Dalila Garcia 12, Alejandra, De Bleecker 13, Jan, Van den Abeele 13, Guy, de Koning 13, Kathy, De Mey 13, Katrien, Mercelis 14, Rudy, Mahieu 14, Délphine, Wagemaekers 14, Linda, Van Damme 15, Philip, Depreitere 16, Annelie, Schotte 16, Caroline, Smetcoren 16, Charlotte, Stevens 16, Olivier, Van Daele 16, Sien, Vandenbussche 16, Nicola, Vanhee 16, Annelie, Verjans 16, Sarah, Vynckier 16, Jan, D'Hondt 16, Ann, Tilkin 16, Petra, Alves de Siqueira Carvalho 17, Alzira, Dias Brockhausen 17, Igor, Feder 17, David, Ambrosio 17, Daniel, César 17, Pamela, Paula Melo 17, Ana, Martins Ribeiro 17, Renata, Rocha 17, Rosana, Bezerra Rosa 17, Bruno, Veiga 17, Thabata, Augusto da Silva 17, Luiz, Santos Engel 17, Murilo, Gonçalves Geraldo 17, Jordana, da Penha Ananias Morita 18, Maria, Nogueira Coelho 18, Erica, Paiva 18, Gabriel, Pozo 18, Marina, Prando 18, Natalia, Dada Martineli Torres 18, Debora, Fernanda Butinhao 18, Cristiani, Duran 18, Gustavo, Cristina Gomes da Silva 18, Tamire, Otavio Maia Gonçalves 18, Luiz, Eduardo Pazetto 18, Luca, Augusto Suriane Fialho 18, Tomá, Renata Cubas Volpe 18, Luciana, Souza Duca 18, Luciana, Souza Bulle Oliveira 19, Acary, Carolina Amaral Andrade 19, Ana, Annes 19, Marcelo, Duarte Silva 19, Liene, Cavalcante Lino 19, Valeria, Pinto 19, Wladimir, Assis 19, Natália, Carrara 19, Fernanda, Miranda 19, Carolina, Souza 19, Iandra, Fernandes 19, Patricia, Siddiqi 20, Zaeem, Phan 20, Cecile, Narayan 20, Jeffrey, Blackmore 20, Derrick, Mallon 20, Ashley, Roderus 20, Rikki, Watt 20, Elizabeth, Junkerova 21, Jana, Kurkova 21, Barbora, Reguliova 21, Katarina, Zapletalova 21, Olga, Pitha 22, Jiri, Novakova 22, Iveta, Tyblova 22, Michaela, Jurajdova 22, Ivana, Wolfova 22, Marcela, Andersen 23, Henning, Harbo 23, Thoma, Vinge 23, Lotte, Krogh 23, Susanne, Mogensen 23, Anita, Vissing 24, John, Højgaard 24, Joan, Witting 24, Nanna, Mette Ostergaard Autzen 24, Anne, Pedersen 24, Jane, Eralinna 25, Juha-Pekka, Laaksonen 25, Mikko, Oksaranta 25, Olli, Harrison 25, Tuula, Eriksson 25, Jaana, Rozsa 26, Csilla, Horvath 26, Melinda, Lovas 26, Gabor, Matolcsi 26, Judit, Szabo 26, Gyorgyi, Jakab 26, Gedeonne, Szabadosne 26, Brigitta, Antonini 27, Giovanni, Di Pasquale 27, Antonella, Garibaldi 27, Matteo, Morino 27, Stefania, Troili 27, Fernanda, Fionda 27, Laura, Filla, Allessandro, Costabile, Teresa, Marano, Enrico, Sacca', Francesco, Fasanaro, Angiola, Marsili, Angela, Puorro, Giorgia, Mantegazza 29, Renato, Antozzi 29, Carlo, Bonanno 29, Silvia, Camera 29, Giorgia, Locatelli 29, Alberta, Maggi 29, Lorenzo, Pasanisi 29, Maria, Campanella 29, Angela, Evoli 30, Amelia, Emilio Alboini 30, Paolo, D'Amato 30, Valentina, Iorio 30, Raffaele, Kanai 31, Tetsuya, Kawaguchi 31, Naoki, Mori 31, Masahiro, Kaneko 31, Yoko, Kanzaki 31, Akiko, Kobayashi 31, Eri, Masaki 32, Katsuhisa, Matsuse 32, Dai, Matsushita 32, Takuya, Uehara 32, Taira, Shimpo 32, Misa, Jingu 32, Maki, Kikutake 32, Keiko, Nakamura 32, Yumiko, Sano 32, Yoshiko, Nagane 33, Yuriko, Kamegamori 33, Ikuko, Tsuda 33, Tomoko, Fujii 33, Yuko, Futono 33, Kazumi, Ozawa 33, Yukiko, Mizugami 33, Aya, Saito 33, Yuka, Morikawa 34, Miyuki, Samukawa 34, Makoto, Kamakura 34, Sachiko, Miyawaki 34, Eriko, Mitazaki 35, Teiichiro, Motomura 35, Masakatsu, Mukaino 35, Akihiro, Yoshimura 35, Shunsuke, Asada 35, Shizuka, Yoshida 35, Seiko, Amamoto 35, Shoko, Kobashikawa 35, Tomomi, Koga 35, Megumi, Maeda 35, Yasuko, Takada 35, Kazumi, Takada 35, Mihoko, Tsurumaru 35, Masako, Yamashita 35, Yumi, Akiyama 36, Tetsuya, Narikawa 36, Koichi, Tano 36, Ohito, Tsukita 36, Kenichi, Kurihara 36, Rikako, Meguro 36, Fumie, Fukuda 36, Yusuke, Sato 36, Miwako, Funaka 37, Soichiro, Kawamura 37, Tomohiro, Makamori 37, Masayuki, Takahashi 37, Masanori, Taichi 37, Namie, Hasuike 37, Tomoya, Higuchi 37, Eriko, Kobayashi 37, Hisako, Osakada 37, Kaori, Tsuda 38, Emiko, Shimohama 38, Shun, Hayashi 38, Takashi, Hisahara 38, Shin, Kawamata 38, Jun, Murahara 38, Takashi, Saitoh 38, Masaki, Suzuki 38, Shuichiro, Yamamoto 38, Daisuke, Ishiyama 38, Yoko, Ishiyama 38, Naoko, Noshiro 38, Mayuko, Takeyama 38, Rumi, Uwasa 38, Kaori, Yasuda 38, Ikuko, van der Kooi 39, Anneke, de Visser 39, Marianne, Gibson 39, Tamar, Casasnovas 40, Carlo, Antonia Alberti Aguilo 40, Maria, Homedes-Pedret 40, Christian, Julia Palacios 40, Natalia, Diez Porras 40, Laura, Velez Santamaria 40, Valentina, Lazaro 40, Ana, Diez Tejedor 41, Exuperio, Gomez Salcedo 41, Pilar, Fernandez-Fournier 41, Mireya, Lopez Ruiz 41, Pedro, Javier Rodriguez de Rivera 41, Francisco, Sastre 41, Maria, Gamez 42, Josep, Sune 42, Pilar, Salvado 42, Maria, Gili 42, Gisela, Mazuela 42, Gonzalo, Illa 43, Isabel, Cortes Vicente 43, Elena, Diaz-Manera 43, Jordi, Antonio Querol Gutierrez 43, Lui, Rojas Garcia 43, Ricardo, Vidal 43, Nuria, Arribas-Ibar 43, Elisabet, Piehl 44, Fredrik, Hietala 44, Albert, Bjarbo 44, Lena, Sengun 45, Ihsan, Meherremova 45, Arzu, Ozcelik 45, Pinar, Balkan 45, Bengu, Tuga 45, Celal, Ugur 45, Muzeyyen, Erdem-Ozdamar 46, Sevim, Ebru Bekircan-Kurt 46, Can, Pinar Acar 46, Nazire, Yilmaz 46, Ezgi, Caliskan 46, Yagmur, Orsel 46, Gulsah, Efendi 47, Husnu, Aydinlik 47, Seda, Cavus 47, Hakan, Kutlu 47, Ayse, Becerikli 47, Gulsah, Semiz 47, Cansu, Tun 47, Ozlem, Terzi 48, Murat, Dogan 48, Baki, Kazim Onar 48, Musa, Sen 48, Sedat, Kirbas Cavdar 48, Tugce, Veske 48, Adife, Norwood 49, Fiona, Dimitriou 49, Aikaterini, Gollogly 49, Jakit, Mahdi-Rogers 49, Mohamed, Seddigh 49, Arshira, Sokratous 49, Gianni, Maier 49, Gal, Sohail 49, Faisal, Jacob 50, Saiju, Sadalage 50, Girija, Torane 50, Pravin, Brown 50, Claire, Shah 50, Amna, Sathasivam 51, Sivakumar, Arndt 51, Heike, Davies 51, Debbie, Watling 51, Dave, Amato 52, Anthony, Cochrane 52, Thoma, Salajegheh 52, Mohammed, Roe 52, Kristen, Amato 52, Katherine, Toska 52, Shirli, Wolfe 53, Gil, Silvestri 53, Nichola, Patrick 53, Kara, Zakalik 53, Karen, Katz 54, Jonathan, Miller 54, Robert, Engel 54, Marguerite, Forshew 54, Dalla, Bravver 55, Elena, Brooks 55, Benjamin, Plevka 55, Sarah, Burdette 55, Maryanne, Cunningham 55, Scott, Sanjak 55, Mohammad, Kramer 55, Megan, Nemeth 55, Joanne, Schommer 55, Clara, Tierney 55, Scott, Juel 56, Vern, Guptill 56, Jeffrey, Hobson-Webb 56, Lisa, Massey 56, Janice, Beck 56, Kate, Carnes 56, Donna, Loor 56, John, Anderson 56, Amanda, Pascuzzi 57, Robert, Bodkin 57, Cynthia, Kincaid 57, John, Snook 57, Riley, Guingrich 57, Sandra, Micheels 57, Angela, Chaudhry 58, Vinay, Corse 58, Andrea, Mosmiller 58, Betsy, Kelley 58, Andrea, Ho 59, Doreen, Srinivasan 59, Jayashri, Vytopil 59, Michal, Jara 59, Jordan, Ventura 59, Nichola, Scala 59, Stephanie, Carter 59, Cynthia, Donahue 59, Craig, Herbert 59, Carol, Weiner 59, Elaine, Alam 59, Sharmeen, McKinnon 60, Jonathan, Haar 60, Laura, McKinnon 60, Naya, Alcon 60, Karan, McKenna 60, Kaitlyn, Sattar 60, Nadia, Daniels 60, Kevin, Jeffery 60, Denni, Freimer 61, Miriam, Chad Hoyle 61, Joseph, Kissel 61, John, Agriesti 61, Julie, Chelnick 61, Sharon, Mezache 61, Louisa, Pineda 61, Colleen, Muharrem 61, Filiz, Karam 62, Chafic, Khoury 62, Julie, Marburger 62, Tessa, Kaur 62, Harpreet, Dimitrova 62, Diana, Gilchrist 63, Jame, Agrawal 63, Brajesh, Elsayed 63, Mona, Kohlrus 63, Stephanie, Andoin 63, Angela, Darnell 63, Taylor, Golden 63, Laura, Lokaitis 63, Barbara, Seelback 63, Jenna, Muppidi 64, Srikanth, Goyal 64, Neelam, Sakamuri 64, Sarada, T So 64, Yuen, Paulose 64, Shirley, Pol 64, Sabrina, Welsh 64, Lesly, Bhavaraju-Sanka 65, Ratna, Tobon Gonzales 65, Alejandro, Dishman 65, Lorraine, Jones 65, Floyd, Gonzalez 65, Anna, Padilla 65, Patricia, Saklad 65, Amy, Silva 65, Marcela, Kazamel 66, Mohamed, Alsharabati 66, Mohammad, Lu 66, Liang, Nozaki 66, Kenkichi, Mumfrey-Thomas 66, Sandi, Woodall 66, Amy, Mozaffar 67, Tahseen, Cash 67, Tiyonnoh, Goyal 67, Namita, Roy 67, Gulmohor, Mathew 67, Veena, Maqsood 67, Fatima, Minton 67, Brian, James Jones 68, H, Rosenfeld 68, Jeffrey, Garcia 68, Rebekah, Echevarria 68, Laura, Garcia 68, Sonia, Pulley 69, Michael, Aranke 69, Shachie, Ross Berger 69, Alan, Shah 69, Jaimin, Shabbir 69, Yasmeen, Smith 69, Lisa, Varghese 69, Mary, Gutmann 70, Laurie, Gutmann 70, Ludwig, Jerath 70, Nivedita, Nance 70, Christopher, Swenson 70, Andrea, Olalde 70, Heena, Kressin 70, Nicole, Sieren 70, Jeri, Barohn 71, Richard, Dimachkie 71, Mazen, Glenn 71, Melanie, McVey 71, April, Pasnoor 71, Mamatha, Statland 71, Jeffery, Wang 71, Yunxia, Liu 71, Tina, Emmons 71, Kelley, Jenci 71, Nicole, Locheke 71, Jerry, Fondaw 71, Alex, Johns 71, Kathryn, Rico 71, Gabrielle, Walsh 71, Maureen, Herbelin 71, Laura, Hafer-Macko 72, Charlene, Kwan 72, Justin, Zilliox 72, Lindsay, Callison 72, Karen, Young 72, Valerie, DiSanzo 72, Beth, Naunton 72, Kerry, Benatar 73, Michael, Bilsker 73, Martin, Sharma 73, Khema, Cooley 73, Anne, Reyes 73, Eliana, Michon 73, Sara-Claude, Sheldon 73, Danielle, Steele 73, Julie, Howard Jr 74, Jame, Karam 74, Chafic, Chopra 74, Manisha, Traub 74, Rebecca, Vu 75, Tuan, Katzin 75, Lara, McClain 75, Terry, Harvey 75, Brittany, Hart 75, Adam, Huynh 75, Kristin, Beydoun 76, Said, Chilingaryan 76, Amaiak, Doan 76, Victor, Droker 76, Brian, Gong 76, Hui, Karimi 76, Sanaz, Lin 76, Frank, McClain 76, Terry, Pokala 76, Krishna, Shah 76, Akshay, Tran 76, Anh, Akhter 76, Salma, Malekniazi 76, Ali, Tandan 77, Rup, Hehir 77, Michael, Waheed 77, Waqar, Lucy 77, Shannon, Weiss 78, Michael, Distad 78, Jane, Strom 78, Susan, Downing 78, Sharon, Kim 78, Bryan, Nowak 79, Richard, Dicapua 79, Daniel, Keung 79, Benison, Kumar 79, Aditya, Patwa 79, Huned, Robeson 79, Kimberly, Yang 79, Irene, Nye 79, Joan, and Hong Vu

Subjects
Male, Pediatrics, Myasthenia gravi, Open-label extension study, Complement inhibitor, 0302 clinical medicine, Quality of life, Japan, Medicine and Health Sciences, Medicine, 030212 general & internal medicine, Myasthenia gravis, education.field_of_study, MG-ADL, Japanese patient, Eculizumab, Middle Aged, HLA, MG-QoL15, Treatment Outcome, Neurology, Female, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, COMPLEMENT INHIBITOR ECULIZUMAB, medicine.drug, Adult, medicine.medical_specialty, Population, Clinical Neurology, Subgroup analysis, Placebo, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, 03 medical and health sciences, Refractory, Asian People, Myasthenia Gravis, Humans, education, Aged, Science & Technology, business.industry, Neurosciences, medicine.disease, Complement Inactivating Agents, Japanese patients, ONSET, Neurology (clinical), Neurosciences & Neurology, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

The terminal complement inhibitor eculizumab was shown to improve myasthenia gravis-related symptoms in the 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled REGAIN study (NCT01997229). In this 52-week sub-analysis of the open-label extension of REGAIN (NCT02301624), eculizumab's efficacy and safety were assessed in 11 Japanese and 88 Caucasian patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive refractory generalized myasthenia gravis. For patients who had received placebo during REGAIN, treatment with open-label eculizumab resulted in generally similar outcomes in the Japanese and Caucasian populations. Rapid improvements were maintained for 52 weeks, assessed by change in score from open-label extension baseline to week 52 (mean [standard error]) using the following scales (in Japanese and Caucasian patients, respectively): Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (-2.4 [1.34] and - 3.3 [0.65]); Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (-2.9 [1.98] and - 4.3 [0.79]); Myasthenia Gravis Composite (-4.5 [2.63] and - 4.9 [1.19]); and Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life 15-item questionnaire (-8.6 [5.68] and - 6.5 [1.93]). Overall, the safety of eculizumab was consistent with its known safety profile. In this interim sub-analysis, the efficacy and safety of eculizumab in Japanese and Caucasian patients were generally similar, and consistent with the overall REGAIN population. ispartof: JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES vol:407 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published

Published
2019

38. SHP2 inhibitor protects AChRs from effects of myasthenia gravis MuSK antibody

Author

Saif Huda, Angela Vincent, Judith Cossins, David Beeson, Michelangelo Maestri, Pedro M. Rodríguez Cruz, Anna De Rosa, Roberta Ricciardi, Mark Woodhall, Michelangelo Cao, and Amelia Evoli

Subjects
animal structures, Muscle Fibers, Skeletal, Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 11, In Vitro Techniques, Article, Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Myasthenia Gravis, Medicine, Humans, Receptors, Cholinergic, Enzyme Inhibitors, Phosphorylation, 030304 developmental biology, Acetylcholine receptor, 0303 health sciences, Myogenesis, Kinase, business.industry, Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, medicine.disease, musculoskeletal system, In vitro, Myasthenia gravis, Cell biology, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Editorial, Neurology, nervous system, Quinolines, Neurology (clinical), business, C2C12, tissues, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src
Abstract

ObjectiveTo determine whether an SRC homology 2 domain-containing phosphotyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2) inhibitor would increase muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) phosphorylation and override the inhibitory effect of MuSK-antibodies (Abs).MethodsThe effect of the SHP2 inhibitor NSC-87877 on MuSK phosphorylation and AChR clustering was tested in C2C12 myotubes with 31 MuSK-myasthenia gravis (MG) sera and purified MuSK-MG IgG4 preparations.ResultsIn the absence of MuSK-MG Abs, NSC-87877 increased MuSK phosphorylation and the number of AChR clusters in C2C12 myotubes in vitro and in DOK7-overexpressing C2C12 myotubes that form spontaneous AChR clusters. In the presence of MuSK-MG sera, the AChR clusters were reduced, as expected, but NSC-87877 was able to protect or restore the clusters. Two purified MuSK-MG IgG4 preparations inhibited both MuSK phosphorylation and AChR cluster formation, and in both, clusters were restored with NSC-87877.ConclusionsStimulating the agrin-LRP4-MuSK-DOK7 AChR clustering pathway with NSC-87877, or other drugs, could represent a novel therapeutic approach for MuSK-MG and could potentially improve other NMJ disorders with reduced AChR numbers or disrupted NMJs.

Published
2019

39. Rituximab in myasthenia gravis: a 'to be or not to be' inhibitor of T cell function

Author

Emanuela Bartoccioni, Paolo Emilio Alboini, Mariapaola Marino, and Amelia Evoli

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, business.industry, General Neuroscience, Lymphocyte, medicine.medical_treatment, T cell, Antigen presentation, Autoantibody, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, 03 medical and health sciences, 030104 developmental biology, 0302 clinical medicine, medicine.anatomical_structure, Immune system, Cytokine, History and Philosophy of Science, Immunology, medicine, Rituximab, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, B cell, medicine.drug
Abstract

In recent years, rituximab (RTX), a monoclonal antibody that binds the B lymphocyte membrane protein CD20, has been increasingly used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, with the rationale of destroying pathogenic B lymphocytes and decreasing autoantibody formation. Surprisingly, RTX has also proven effective in predominantly T cell-mediated diseases, raising the question whether additional mechanisms may play roles in determining the therapeutic response. Here, we review the current literature on the effects of RTX in autoimmune diseases, with special emphasis on myasthenia gravis (MG). To elicit a complete and effective immune response, B and T lymphocytes cooperate in a loop in which they affect each other. Disruption of this cross talk has profound effects on the immune system. RTX is likely to affect the whole spectrum of B cell function, including antigen presentation, cytokine production, and T cell stimulation. In addition, as a small subset of T lymphocytes expresses CD20, its direct targeting by RTX may contribute to the therapeutic effect. Owing to its distinctive immune characteristics, MG proved to be a useful model to investigate the multifaceted implications of B cell depletion.

Published
2018

40. Myasthenia gravis with antibodies to MuSK: an update

Author

Mariapaola Marino, Carlo Provenzano, Raffaele Iorio, Valentina Damato, Amelia Evoli, Paolo Emilio Alboini, and Emanuela Bartoccioni

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, Weakness, biology, business.industry, General Neuroscience, Disease, medicine.disease, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Myasthenia gravis, 03 medical and health sciences, 030104 developmental biology, 0302 clinical medicine, History and Philosophy of Science, Immunology, medicine, biology.protein, Cholinergic, Rituximab, medicine.symptom, Antibody, business, Tyrosine kinase, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, medicine.drug, Rare disease
Abstract

Myasthenia gravis with antibodies to the muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK+ MG) is a rare disease with distinctive pathogenic mechanisms and clinical features. An acute onset and predominant bulbar muscle weakness are very common and highly suggestive of the disease. On the other hand, a more indolent course, atypical ocular presentation, and signs of cholinergic hyperactivity may complicate the diagnosis. Though MuSK+ MG is still a severe disease, over the years we have observed a steady reduction in the rate of respiratory crisis and a significant improvement in the clinical outcome, both likely related to earlier diagnosis and timely treatment. Despite the improved management, MuSK+ MG patients tend to remain dependent on long-term immunosuppressive treatment and may develop permanent disabling weakness. In uncontrolled studies, B cell depletion with rituximab proved effective in most patients with refractory disease, inducing prolonged clinical responses associated with a sustained reduction of serum antibody levels. Promising results from experimental studies and case reports suggest that both 3,4-diaminopyridine and albuterol may be effective as symptomatic agents.

Published
2017

41. Safety and efficacy of eculizumab in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive refractory generalised myasthenia gravis (REGAIN): a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study

Author

Kazumi Takada, Vladislav Abramov, Seiko Yoshida, Pinar Ozcelik, Carolina Miranda, Jennifer Kane, Kaitlyn McKenna, Natasha Campbell, Sharon P. Nations, Shitiz Kumar Sriwastava, Yuko Fujii, Mayumi Murata, Linda Wagemaekers, Angela Andoin, Mollie Vanderhook, Yoshinori Okubo, Martin Bilsker, Taira Uehara, Vera Bril, Julia Wanschitz, Stanislava Toncrova, Mariela Bettini, Kazumi Futono, Shachie Aranke, Yool-hee Kim, Hiroyuki Murai, Anne Nyrhinen, Vinay Chaudhry, Raffaele Iorio, Takashi Kanda, Brittany Harvey, Francisco Javier Rodriguez de Rivera, Henning Andersen, Marianne de Visser, Miwako Sato, Yasuhiro Maeda, Fabienne Deruelle, Marina Pozo, Adam Hart, Masaki Saitoh, Wladimir Bocca Vieira de Rezende Pinto, Said R. Beydoun, Lindsay Zilliox, Akihiro Mukaino, Cinzia Caserta, Mahi Jasinarachchi, Andrea M. Corse, Nikoletta Papadopoulou, JuYoung Kwon, Fernanda Carrara, Juliet Saba, Masayuki Makamori, Vittorio Frasca, Luciana Souza Duca, Hoo Nam Kang, C. Trebst, Celile Phan, Muzeyyen Ugur, Eduardo Ng, Jonathan McKinnon, Hila Bali Kuperman, David Feder, Judit Matolcsi, Jiri Pitha, Martin Stangel, Kate Beck, Gabriel Paiva, Diego Lopergolo, Katrien De Mey, Hidenori Matsuo, Lucas Eduardo Pazetto, Eugene Lai, Amanda Anderson, Ann D'Hondt, Tetsuya Akiyama, Beverly Fyfe, Bella Gross, Elisabet Arribas-Ibar, Kathy de Koning, Gulmohor Roy, Dmitry Pokhabov, Maria Johanna Keijzers, Nicholas Ventura, Tessa Marburger, John Loor, Ji Eun Lee, Alessandro Filla, Celal Tuga, Stephanie Scala, Rudy Mercelis, Marc H. De Baets, Hisako Kobayashi, Stanislav Vohanka, Ana Paula Macagnan, Ana Carolina Amaral de Andrade, Heike Arndt, Giovanni Antonini, Yumi Yamashita, Gwendal Le Masson, Sonia Garcia, Sarah Verjans, James F. Howard, Zaeem A. Siddiqi, Yuen T. So, Megumi Koga, Exuperio Diez Tejedor, Teresa Costabile, Mihoko Takada Takada, Steve Hopkins, Jonathan S. Katz, Charlene Hafer-Macko, Erica Nogueira Coelho, Hung Youl Seok, Carol Herbert, Yuriko Nagane, Didem Altiparmak, Sachiko Kamakura, Mohammad Sanjak, Caroline Moreau, Jordi Díaz-Manera, Sivakumar Sathasivam, Michael Vytopil, Amelia Evoli, Masakatsu Motomura, Ester Reggio, Guy Van den Abeele, Hélène Zéphir, Asya Yarmoschuk, Jasmine Hewlett, Amy Wilson, Sachie Fukui, Cavit Boz, Iandra Souza, Morgane Gaboreau, Ivana Jurajdova, Sonia Decressac, Yong Seo Koo, Valentina Pegoraro, Seung Min Kim, Benison Keung, Rosana Rocha, Nanna Witting, John Vissing, Elaine Weiner, Ali Malekniazi, Larisa Babenko, Amanda C. Guidon, Gal Maier, Charlotte Smetcoren, Robert M. Pascuzzi, Domenico Marco Bonifati, Yumiko Nakamura, Tamires Cristina Gomes da Silva, Takashi Murahara, Sarah Plevka, Tomoko Tsuda, John C. Kincaid, Arnaud Lacour, Ibrez Bandukwala, Alan R. Berger, Chang Nyoung Lee, Jae-Sung Lim, Vern C. Juel, Tulio E. Bertorini, Valeria Cavalcante Lino, Namie Taichi, Ju-Hong Min, Josep Gamez, Nelly Greenbereg, William S. David, Srikanth Muppidi, Husnu Efendi, Pedro Lopez Ruiz, Baki Dogan, Cansu Semiz, Natalia Julia Palacios, Sharon Downing, Paola Cudia, Daniel Jacobs, Can Ebru Bekircan-Kurt, Takayasu Fukudome, Kristen Roe, Lena Bjarbo, Nicole Kassebaum, Makoto Samukawa, Shizuka Asada, Christina Dheel, Fatima Maqsood, Eun Bi Hwang, Kevin Daniels, Sevim Erdem-Ozdamar, Olivier Stevens, Claudio Mazia, Karan Alcon, Sibel Gazioglu, Keiko Kikutake, Luis Lay, Petra Tilkin, Corrado Angelini, Derrick Blackmore, Kimiaki Utsugisawa, Despoina Charalambous, Tuula Harrison, Kristin Huynh, Huned S. Patwa, Laura Echevarria, Henrique Mohr, Christian Homedes-Pedret, Richard J. Barohn, Byung Jo Kim, Daniel DiCapua, Terry McClain, Debora Dada Martineli Torres, Maria Salvado Figueras, Ana Paula Melo, Riley Snook, Miki Ogawa, Marcelo Annes, Yuka Saito, Isabel Illa, Evanthia Bernitsas, Nicole Smalley, Molly Lindsay, Robert G. Miller, Olga Azrilin, Silvia Bonanno, Evgeniya Kosykh, Marcela Wolfova, Olivier Outteryck, Shirli Toska, Anna Kostera-Pruszczyk, HyeJin Ra, Rup Tandan, Sotirios Papagiannopoulos, Natasha Willlems, Anne Mette Ostergaard Autzen, Meinoshin Okumura, Patrick Vermersch, Sarada Sakamuri, Maria Antonia Alberti Aguilo, Shigemi Shimose, Cynthia Carter, Ira Blount, Lisa Thompson, Maurer Pereira Martins, Richard Nowak, Hyung Seok Lee, Anna Kaminska, Joan Bratton, Nazire Pinar Acar, Junichi Ogasawara, Mohamed Mahdi-Rogers, Teiichiro Mitazaki, Marek Čierny, Craig Donahue, Jaya Trivedi, Neelam Goyal, Gonzalo Vidal, Brandy Quarles, Akiko Kanzaki, Yasuko Ikeda, Tomomi Kobashikawa, Morris Brown, Daisuke Yamamoto, Michel Deneve, Denis Korobko, Beth DiSanzo, Benedikt Schoser, Heidi Boterhoven, Eri Kobayashi, Maoko Shirane, Cristiani Fernanda Butinhao, Eriko Higuchi, Takashi Hayashi, Masanori Takahashi, Anne-Cécile Wielanek-Bachelet, Benjamin Rix Brooks, Emanuela Onesti, Tahseen Mozaffar, Liang Lu, Sevasti Bostantzopoulou, Christophe Vial, Shawn J. Bird, Sandi Mumfrey-Thomas, Julie Khoury, Kara Patrick, Kenichi Tsukita, Yoshiko Sano, Hiroshi Nakazora, David P. Richman, Gavin Brown, Yoon-Ho Hong, Tomohiro Kawamura, Igor Dias Brockhausen, Ye Liu, Acary Souza Bulle Oliveira, Soichiro Funaka, Tomoya Hasuike, Frank Lin, Luis Antonio Querol Gutierrez, Namita Goyal, Elena Pinzan, Michelle Mellion, Silvia Messina, Christopher Lindberg, Csilla Rozsa, J. Chad Hoyle, Yoko Kaneko, Gustavo Duran, Francesco Patti, Arshira Seddigh, Ele Kim Perez, Jayashri Srinivasan, Michael Benatar, Philip Van Damme, Salma Akhter, Daniel Ambrosio, Maria Salvado, Floyd Jones, Mark Sivak, Anneke J. van der Kooi, Karen Callison, Catherine Nigro, Rebekah Garcia, Thomas Arnold, Hideki Arima, Brigid Crabtree, Mary Varghese, Aditya Kumar, Miri Kim, Fanny O'Brien, Naya McKinnon, Lauren Wheeler, Hong Vu, Shunsuke Yoshimura, Masatoshi Omoto, Jeffrey T. Guptill, Maria Gabriele, Francoise Bouhour, Veena Mathew, Ritsu Nakayama, Rosa Hasan, Francesco Saccà, Mohammed Salajegheh, Diana Dimitrova, Alzira Alves de Siqueira Carvalho, Maurizio Inghilleri, George Sachs, Rekha Pillai, Enrico Marano, Monika Konyane, Anh Tran, Seda Aydinlik, Kendrick Henderson, Fumie Meguro, Alexandre Guerreiro, Amaiak Chilingaryan, Tiyonnoh Cash, Jun Kawamata, Julie Steele, Helene Gervais-Bernard, Thomas Harbo, Alejandra Dalila Garcia, Musa Kazim Onar, Sabrina Sacconi, Carlos Casasnovas Pons, Nadezhda Malkova, Denis Sazonov, Mireya Fernandez-Fournier, Karin Fricke, Laurie Gutmann, Amy Saklad, Clara Schommer, Sandra Taber, Fiona Norwood, Tugce Kirbas Cavdar, Monique Miesen, Fernanda Troili, Masanori Watanabe, Ratna Bhavaraju-Sanka, Ted M. Burns, Sari Atula, Faisal Sohail, Barbora Kurkova, Brigitta Szabadosne, Luciana Renata Cubas Volpe, Jane Pedersen, Jing Jing Wang, Masashi Inoue, Antonella Di Pasquale, Megan Kramer, Magda Chmelikova, Mehran Soltani, Tuan Vu, Laura Fionda, Eliz Agopian, Susan Shin, Anthony A. Amato, Lotte Vinge, Hakan Cavus, Gil I. Wolfe, Joan Nye, Delphine Mahieu, Miguel Wilken, Markus Färkkilä, Catherine Faber, Erin Manning, Emiko Tsuda, Rami Massie, Paolo Emilio Alboini, Yasmeen Shabbir, Angela Campanella, Aikaterini Dimitriou, Marcelo Rugiero, Cynthia Bodkin, Gyorgyi Szabo, Sharon Halton, Akshay Shah, Yasuko Maeda, Hans D. Katzberg, Yagmur Caliskan, Jaimin Shah, Katsuhisa Masaki, Valentina Damato, Blanka Andersson, Aline de Cassia Santos, Masahiro Mori, Renato Mantegazza, Misa Shimpo, Joanne Nemeth, Livia Dezsi, Anna De Rosa, Doreen Ho, Julie Moutarde, Efstathia Mitropoulou, Amy Woodall, Angela Micheels, László Vécsei, Byoung Joon Kim, Lisa Smith, Tomihiro Imai, Harpreet Kaur, Lorenzo Maggi, Jane Distad, Anita Mogensen, Ericka Simpson, Anne Cooley, Eliana Reyes, Ha Young Shin, Da Yoon Koh, Stefan Gingele, Susan Strom, Ezgi Yilmaz, Manisha Chopra, Anna Melnikova, Edouard Millois, Ludwig Gutmann, Miriam Freimer, Hirokazu Shinozaki, Heena Olalde, Kerry Naunton, Shunya Nakane, Ihsan Sengun, Dimos-Dimitrios Mitsikostas, Edina Varga, Juha-Pekka Erälinna, Wolfgang Löscher, Jan De Bleecker, Elena Bravver, Ana Lazaro, Eun Bin Cho, Thomas Cochrane, Jonathan Goldstein, Lisa D. Hobson-Webb, Michaela Tyblova, Angela Marsil, J. Edward Hartmann, Miyuki Morikawa, Karen Zakalik, Claude Desnuelle, Iveta Novakova, Michiaki Koga, Melinda Horvath, Luiz Otavio Maia Gonçalves, Elena Cortes Vicente, Alejandro Tobon Gonzalez, Stanley H. Appel, Brian Minton, Daniele Orrico, Brian Droker, Jacob Kaufman, Erica Coelho, Chafic Karam, Mikko Laaksonen, Katherine Amato, Jinmyoung Seok, Natalia Prando, Pauline Lahaut, Kaori Osakada, Phillipa Lamont, Alexandros Tselis, Daiane da Cruz Pacheco, Joan Højgaard, Hirokazu Shiraishi, Josef Bednarik, Stefania Morino, Mark Levine-Weinberg, Sara-Claude Michon, Yusuke Fukuda, Michael Pulley, Koichi Narikawa, Ricardo Rojas Garcia, Betsy Mosmiller, James Gilchrist, Maria da Penha Morita Ananias, Maryanne Burdette, Shingo Konno, Janelle Butters, Stephan Wenninger, Debbie Davies, Thomas Skripuletz, Mohammad Alsharabati, Katarina Reguliova, Gabor Lovas, Yuichiro Gondo, Miju Shin, HyeLim Lee, Bruno Bezerra Rosa, Michael D. Weiss, Martha Zampaki, Andrea Caramma, Jeffrey V. 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Mihoko Takada, Yamashita, Yumi, Yoshida, Seiko, Suzuki, Yasushi, Akiyama, Tetsuya, Narikawa, Koichi, Tsukita, Kenichi, Meguro, Fumie, Fukuda, Yusuke, Sato, Miwako, Matsuo, Hidenori, Fukudome, Takayasu, Gondo, Yuichiro, Maeda, Yasuhiro, Nagaishi, Akiko, Nakane, Shunya, Okubo, Yoshinori, Okumura, Meinoshin, Funaka, Soichiro, Kawamura, Tomohiro, Makamori, Masayuki, Takahashi, Masanori, Hasuike, Tomoya, Higuchi, Eriko, Kobayashi, Hisako, Osakada, Kaori, Taichi, Namie, Tsuda, Emiko, Hayashi, Takashi, Hisahara, Shin, Imai, Tomihiro, Kawamata, Jun, Murahara, Takashi, Saitoh, Masaki, Shimohama, Shun, Suzuki, Shuichiro, Yamamoto, Daisuke, Konno, Shingo, Imamura, Tomomi, Inoue, Masashi, Murata, Mayumi, Nakazora, Hiroshi, Nakayama, Ritsu, Ikeda, Yasuko, Ogawa, Miki, Shirane, Maoko, Kanda, Takashi, Kawai, Motoharu, Koga, Michiaki, Ogasawara, Junichi, Omoto, Masatoshi, Sano, Yasuteru, Arima, Hideki, Fukui, Sachie, Shimose, Shigemi, Shinozaki, Hirokazu, Watanabe, Masanori, Yoshikawa, Chieko, van der Kooi, Anneke, de Visser, Marianne, Gibson, Tamar, Maessen, Jo, de Baets, Marc, Faber, Catherine, Keijzers, Maria Johanna, Miesen, Monique, Kostera-Pruszczyk, Anna, Kaminska, Anna, Kim, Byung-Jo, Lee, Chang Nyoung, Koo, Yong Seo, Seok, Hung Youl, Kang, Hoo Nam, Ra, Hyejin, Kim, Byoung Joon, Cho, Eun Bin, Lee, Hyelim, Min, Ju-Hong, Seok, Jinmyoung, Koh, Da Yoon, Kwon, Juyoung, Lee, Jieun, Park, Sangae, Hong, Yoon-Ho, Lim, Jae-Sung, Kim, Miri, Kim, Seung Min, Kim, Yool-hee, Lee, Hyung Seok, Shin, Ha Young, Hwang, Eun Bi, Shin, Miju, Sazonov, Deni, Yarmoschuk, Asya, Babenko, Larisa, Malkova, Nadezhda, Melnikova, Anna, Korobko, Deni, Kosykh, Evgeniya, Pokhabov, Dmitry, Nesterova, Yulia, Abramov, Vladislav, Balyazin, Victor, Casasnovas Pons, Carlo, Alberti Aguilo, Maria, Homedes-Pedret, Christian, Palacios, Natalia Julia, Lazaro, Ana, Diez Tejedor, Exuperio, Fernandez-Fournier, Mireya, Lopez Ruiz, Pedro, Rodriguez de Rivera, Francisco Javier, Salvado Figueras, Maria, Gamez, Josep, Salvado, Maria, Cortes Vicente, Elena, Diaz-Manera, Jordi, Querol Gutierrez, Lui, Rojas Garcia, Ricardo, Vidal, Nuria, Arribas-Ibar, Elisabet, Piehl, Fredrik, Hietala, Albert, Bjarbo, Lena, Lindberg, Christopher, Jons, Daniel, Andersson, Blanka, Sengun, Ihsan, Ozcelik, Pinar, Tuga, Celal, Ugur, Muzeyyen, Boz, Cavit, Altiparmak, Didem, Gazioglu, Sibel, Ozen Aydin, Cigdem, Erdem-Ozdamar, Sevim, Bekircan-Kurt, Can Ebru, Yilmaz, Ezgi, Acar, Nazire Pinar, Caliskan, Yagmur, Efendi, Husnu, Aydinlik, Seda, Cavus, Hakan, Semiz, Cansu, Tun, Ozlem, Terzi, Murat, Dogan, Baki, Onar, Musa Kazim, Sen, Sedat, Cavdar, Tugce Kirba, Norwood, Fiona, Dimitriou, Aikaterini, Gollogly, Jakit, Mahdi-Rogers, Mohamed, Seddigh, Arshira, Maier, Gal, Sohail, Faisal, Sathasivam, Sivakumar, Arndt, Heike, Davies, Debbie, Watling, Dave, Rivner, Michael, Hartmann, J. Edward, Quarles, Brandy, Smalley, Nicole, Amato, Anthony, Cochrane, Thoma, Salajegheh, Mohammed, Roe, Kristen, Amato, Katherine, Toska, Shirli, Wolfe, Gil, Silvestri, Nichola, Patrick, Kara, Zakalik, Karen, Katz, Jonathan, Miller, Robert, Engel, Marguerite, Bravver, Elena, Brooks, Benjamin, Plevka, Sarah, Burdette, Maryanne, Sanjak, Mohammad, Kramer, Megan, Nemeth, Joanne, Schommer, Clara, Juel, Vern, Guptill, Jeffrey, Hobson-Webb, Lisa, Beck, Kate, Carnes, Donna, Loor, John, Anderson, Amanda, Lange, Dale, Agopian, Eliz, Goldstein, Jonathan, Manning, Erin, Kaplan, Lindsay, Holzberg, Shara, Kassebaum, Nicole, Pascuzzi, Robert, Bodkin, Cynthia, Kincaid, John, Snook, Riley, Guinrich, Sandra, Micheels, Angela, Chaudhry, Vinay, Corse, Andrea, Mosmiller, Betsy, Ho, Doreen, Srinivasan, Jayashri, Vytopil, Michael, Ventura, Nichola, Scala, Stephanie, Carter, Cynthia, Donahue, Craig, Herbert, Carol, Weiner, Elaine, Mckinnon, Jonathan, Haar, Laura, Mckinnon, Naya, Alcon, Karan, Daniels, Kevin, Sattar, Nadia, Jeffery, Denni, Mckenna, Kaitlyn, Guidon, Amanda, David, William, Dheel, Christina, Levine-Weinberg, Mark, Nigro, Catherine, Simpson, Ericka, Appel, Stanley H, Lai, Eugene, Lay, Lui, Pleitez, Milvia, Halton, Sharon, Faigle, Casey, Thompson, Lisa, Sivak, Mark, Shin, Susan, Bratton, Joan, Jacobs, Daniel, Brown, Gavin, Bandukwala, Ibrez, Brown, Morri, Kane, Jennifer, Blount, Ira, Freimer, Miriam, Hoyle, J. Chad, Agriesti, Julie, Khoury, Julie, Marburger, Tessa, Kaur, Harpreet, Dimitrova, Diana, Mellion, Michelle, Sachs, George, Crabtree, Brigid, Keo, Roseann, Perez, Ele Kim, Taber, Sandra, Gilchrist, Jame, Andoin, Angela, Darnell, Taylor, Goyal, Neelam, Sakamuri, Sarada, So, Yuen T, Welsh, Lesly Welsh, Bhavaraju-Sanka, Ratna, Tobon Gonzalez, Alejandro, Jones, Floyd, Saklad, Amy, Nations, Sharon, Trivedi, Jaya, Hopkins, Steve, Kazamel, Mohamed, Alsharabati, Mohammad, Lu, Liang, Mumfrey-Thomas, Sandi, Woodall, Amy, Richman, David, Butters, Janelle, Lindsay, Molly, Mozaffar, Tahseen, Cash, Tiyonnoh, Goyal, Namita, Roy, Gulmohor, Mathew, Veena, Maqsood, Fatima, Minton, Brian, Jones, H. Jame, Rosenfeld, Jeffrey, Garcia, Rebekah, Garcia, Sonia, Echevarria, Laura, Pulley, Michael, Aranke, Shachie, Berger, Alan Ro, Shah, Jaimin, Shabbir, Yasmeen, Smith, Lisa, Varghese, Mary, Gutmann, Laurie, Gutmann, Ludwig, Swenson, Andrea, Olalde, Heena, Hafer-Macko, Charlene, Kwan, Justin, Zilliox, Lindsay, Callison, Karen, Disanzo, Beth, Naunton, Kerry, Bilsker, Martin, Sharma, Khema, Reyes, Eliana, Cooley, Anne, Michon, Sara-Claude, Steele, Julie, Karam, Chafic Karam, Chopra, Manisha, Bird, Shawn, Kaufman, Jacob, Gallatti, Nichole, Vu, Tuan, Katzin, Lara, Mcclain, Terry, Harvey, Brittany, Hart, Adam, Huynh, Kristin, Beydoun, Said, Chilingaryan, Amaiak, Droker, Brian, Lin, Frank, Shah, Akshay, Tran, Anh, Akhter, Salma, Malekniazi, Ali, Tandan, Rup, Hehir, Michael, Waheed, Waqar, Lucy, Shannon, Weiss, Michael, Distad, Jane, Downing, Sharon, Strom, Susan, Lisak, Robert, Bernitsas, Evanthia, Khan, Omar, Kumar Sriwastava, Shitiz, Tselis, Alexandro, Jia, Kelly, Bertorini, Tulio, Arnold, Thoma, Henderson, Kendrick, Pillai, Rekha, Liu, Ye, Wheeler, Lauren, Hewlett, Jasmine, Vanderhook, Mollie, Dicapua, Daniel, Keung, Benison, Kumar, Aditya, Patwa, Huned, Robeson, Kimberly, Nye, Joan, Vu, Hong, Howard, J, Utsugisawa, K, Benatar, M, Murai, H, Barohn, R, Illa, I, Jacob, S, Vissing, J, Burns, T, Kissel, J, Muppidi, S, Nowak, R, O'Brien, F, Wang, J, Mantegazza, R, and Bonanno, S

Subjects
Male, 0301 basic medicine, medicine.medical_treatment, Drug Resistance, Adult, Aged, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Autoantibodies, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Myasthenia Gravis, Receptors, Cholinergic, Outcome Assessment (Health Care), Severity of Illness Index, Neurology (clinical), law.invention, Complement inhibitor, 0302 clinical medicine, Randomized controlled trial, law, Monoclonal, Receptors, Clinical endpoint, Humanized, Cholinergic, education.field_of_study, Eculizumab, Autoantibodie, Myasthenia Gravi, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Human, medicine.drug, Meningitides, medicine.medical_specialty, Population, Placebo, Antibodies, 03 medical and health sciences, Internal medicine, medicine, education, business.industry, Surgery, Thymectomy, 030104 developmental biology, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

Background Complement is likely to have a role in refractory generalised myasthenia gravis, but no approved therapies specifically target this system. Results from a phase 2 study suggested that eculizumab, a terminal complement inhibitor, produced clinically meaningful improvements in patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive refractory generalised myasthenia gravis. We further assessed the efficacy and safety of eculizumab in this patient population in a phase 3 trial. Methods We did a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study (REGAIN) in 76 hospitals and specialised clinics in 17 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Eligible patients were aged at least 18 years, with a Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) score of 6 or more, Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) class II-IV disease, vaccination against Neisseria meningitides, and previous treatment with at least two immunosuppressive therapies or one immunosuppressive therapy and chronic intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange for 12 months without symptom control. Patients with a history of thymoma or thymic neoplasms, thymectomy within 12 months before screening, or use of intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange within 4 weeks before randomisation, or rituximab within 6 months before screening, were excluded. We randomly assigned participants (1:1) to either intravenous eculizumab or intravenous matched placebo for 26 weeks. Dosing for eculizumab was 900 mg on day 1 and at weeks 1, 2, and 3; 1200 mg at week 4; and 1200 mg given every second week thereafter as maintenance dosing. Randomisation was done centrally with an interactive voice or web-response system with patients stratified to one of four groups based on MGFA disease classification. Where possible, patients were maintained on existing myasthenia gravis therapies and rescue medication was allowed at the study physician's discretion. Patients, investigators, staff, and outcome assessors were masked to treatment assignment. The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline to week 26 in MG-ADL total score measured by worst-rank ANCOVA. The efficacy population set was defined as all patients randomly assigned to treatment groups who received at least one dose of study drug, had a valid baseline MG-ADL assessment, and at least one post-baseline MG-ADL assessment. The safety analyses included all randomly assigned patients who received eculizumab or placebo. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01997229. Findings Between April 30, 2014, and Feb 19, 2016, we randomly assigned and treated 125 patients, 62 with eculizumab and 63 with placebo. The primary analysis showed no significant difference between eculizumab and placebo (least-squares mean rank 56·6 [SEM 4·5] vs 68·3 [4·5]; rank-based treatment difference -11·7, 95% CI -24·3 to 0·96; p=0·0698). No deaths or cases of meningococcal infection occurred during the study. The most common adverse events in both groups were headache and upper respiratory tract infection (ten [16%] for both events in the eculizumab group and 12 [19%] for both in the placebo group). Myasthenia gravis exacerbations were reported by six (10%) patients in the eculizumab group and 15 (24%) in the placebo group. Six (10%) patients in the eculizumab group and 12 (19%) in the placebo group required rescue therapy. Interpretation The change in the MG-ADL score was not statistically significant between eculizumab and placebo, as measured by the worst-rank analysis. Eculizumab was well tolerated. The use of a worst-rank analytical approach proved to be an important limitation of this study since the secondary and sensitivity analyses results were inconsistent with the primary endpoint result; further research into the role of complement is needed. Funding Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

Published
2017

43. B cell related predictive biomarkers of treatment response in myasthenia gravis

Author

Gabriele Monte, Gregorio Spagni, Alessandra Battaglia, Amelia Evoli, Valentina Damato, and Andrea Fattorossi

Subjects
Oncology, medicine.medical_specialty, Treatment response, business.industry, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, medicine.anatomical_structure, Neurology, Internal medicine, medicine, Neurology (clinical), business, B cell, Predictive biomarker
Published
2021

44. Diagnostics of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes

Author

Diego Franciotta, Gaetano Bernardi, Gianna Costa, Sergio Ferrari, Marco Brogi, Marco Zoccarato, Tiziana Biagioli, Luigi Zuliani, Raffaella Fazio, Matteo Gastaldi, Elena Bazzigaluppi, Amelia Evoli, Raffaele Iorio, Claudia Giannotta, Elisabetta Galloni, Elena Corsini, Eduardo Nobile-Orazio, Bruno Giometto, Elisabetta Zardini, Sara Mariotto, Valentina De Riva, Zoccarato, M., Gastaldi, M., Zuliani, L., Biagioli, T., Brogi, M., Bernardi, G., Corsini, E., Bazzigaluppi, E., Fazio, R., Giannotta, C., Nobile-Orazio, E., Costa, G., Iorio, R., Evoli, A., Mariotto, S., Ferrari, S., Galloni, E., De Riva, V., Zardini, E., Franciotta, D., and Giometto, B.

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, Onconeural antibodies, medicine.medical_specialty, Neurology, education, Dermatology, Laboratory diagnostics, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Laboratory diagnostic, Clinical information, Humans, Medicine, Neurological autoimmune diseases, Autoantibodies, business.industry, General Medicine, Neurological autoimmune disease, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Psychiatry and Mental health, 030104 developmental biology, Family medicine, Neurology (clinical), 2708, Psychiatry and Mental Health, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System
Abstract

This document presents the guidelines for onconeural antibody testing that have been developed following a consensus process built on questionnaire-based surveys, internet contacts, and discussions at workshops of the sponsoring Italian Association of Neuroimmunology (AINI) congresses. Essential clinical information on paraneoplastic neurological syndromes, indications and limits of onconeural antibody testing, instructions for result interpretation, and an agreed laboratory protocol (Appendix) are reported for the communicative community of neurologists and clinical pathologists.

Published
2017

45. Long-term effect of thymectomy plus prednisone versus prednisone alone in patients with non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis: 2-year extension of the MGTX randomised trial

Author

Gil I Wolfe, Henry J Kaminski, Inmaculada B Aban, Greg Minisman, Hui-Chien Kuo, Alexander Marx, Philipp Ströbel, Claudio Mazia, Joel Oger, J Gabriel Cea, Jeannine M Heckmann, Amelia Evoli, Wilfred Nix, Emma Ciafaloni, Giovanni Antonini, Rawiphan Witoonpanich, John O King, Said R Beydoun, Colin H Chalk, Alexandru C Barboi, Anthony A Amato, Aziz I Shaibani, Bashar Katirji, Bryan R F Lecky, Camilla Buckley, Angela Vincent, Elza Dias-Tosta, Hiroaki Yoshikawa, Márcia Waddington-Cruz, Michael T Pulley, Michael H Rivner, Anna Kostera-Pruszczyk, Robert M Pascuzzi, Carlayne E Jackson, Jan J G M Verschuuren, Janice M Massey, John T Kissel, Lineu C Werneck, Michael Benatar, Richard J Barohn, Rup Tandan, Tahseen Mozaffar, Nicholas J Silvestri, Robin Conwit, Joshua R Sonett, Alfred Jaretzki, John Newsom-Davis, Gary R Cutter, Gary Cutter, Inmaculada Aban, Michelle Feese, Gil Wolfe, Henry Kaminski, Joshua Sonett, Valeria Saluto, Moises Rosenberg, Valeria Alvarez, Lisa Rey, John King, Helmut Butzkueven, John Goldblatt, John Carey, John Pollard, Stephen Reddel, Nicholas Handel, Brian McCaughan, Linda Pallot, Ricardo Novis, Carlos Boasquevisque, Rubens Morato-Fernandez, Manoel Ximenes, Lineu Werneck, Rosana Scola, Paulo Soltoski, Colin Chalk, Fraser Moore, David Mulder, Lisa Wadup, Michele Mezei, Kenneth Evans, Theresa Jiwa, Anne Schaffar, Chris White, Cory Toth, Gary Gelfand, Susan Wood, Elizabeth Pringle, Jocelyn Zwicker, Donna Maziak, Farid Shamji, Sudhir Sundaresan, Andrew Seely, Gabriel Cea, Renato Verduga, Alberto Aguayo, Sebastian Jander, Philipp Zickler, Michael Klein, Cleo-Aron Weis, Arthur Melms, Felix Bischof, Hermann Aebert, Gerhard Ziemer, Björn Thümler, Thomas Wilhem-Schwenkmezger, Eckhard Mayer, Berthold Schalke, Peter Pöschel, Gisela Hieber, Karsten Wiebe, Alessandro Clemenzi, Vanessa Ceschin, Erino Rendina, Federico Venuta, Stefania Morino, Elisabetta Bucci, Luca Durelli, Alessia Tavella, Marinella Clerico, Giulia Contessa, Piero Borasio, Serenella Servidei, Pierluigi Granone, Renato Mantegazza, Emilia Berta, Lorenzo Novellino, Luisa Spinelli, Masakatsu Motomura, Hidenori Matsuo, Takeshi Nagayasu, Masaharu Takamori, Makoto Oda, Isao Matsumoto, Yutaka Furukawa, Daisuke Noto, Yuko Motozaki, Kazuo Iwasa, Daisuke Yanase, Guillermo Garcia Ramos, Bernardo Cacho, Lorenzo de la Garza, Anne Kostera-Pruszczyk, Marta Lipowska, Hubert Kwiecinski, Anna Potulska-Chromik, Tadeusz Orlowski, Ana Silva, Marta Feijo, António Freitas, Jeannine Heckmann, Andrew Frost, Edward Pan, Lawrence Tucker, Johan Rossouw, Fiona Drummond, Isabel Illa, Jorge Diaz, Carlos Leon, Jiann-Horng Yeh, Hou-Chang Chiu, Yei-San Hsieh, Supoch Tunlayadechanont, Sukasom Attanavanich, Jan Verschuuren, Chiara Straathof, Maarten Titulaer, Michel Versteegh, Arda Pels, Yvonne Krum, M. Isabel Leite, David Hilton-Jones, Chandi Ratnatunga, Maria Farrugia, Richard Petty, James Overell, Alan Kirk, Andrew Gibson, Chris McDermott, David Hopkinson, Bryan Lecky, David Watling, Dot Marshall, Sam Saminaden, Deborah Davies, Charlotte Dougan, Siva Sathasivam, Richard Page, Jon Sussman, John Ealing, Peter Krysiak, Anthony Amato, Mohammad Salajegheh, Michael Jaklitsch, Kristen Roe, Tetsuo Ashizawa, Robert Glenn Smith, Joseph Zwischenberg, Penny Stanton, Alexandru Barboi, Safwan Jaradeh, William Tisol, Mario Gasparri, George Haasler, Mary Yellick, Cedric Dennis, Richard Barohn, Mamatha Pasnoor, Mazen Dimachkie, April McVey, Gary Gronseth, Arthur Dick, Jeffrey Kramer, Melissa Currence, Laura Herbelin, Jerry Belsh, George Li, John Langenfeld, Mary Ann Mertz, Taylor Harrison, Seth Force, Sharon Usher, Said Beydoun, Frank Lin, Steve DeMeester, Salem Akhter, Ali Malekniazi, Gina Avenido, Brian Crum, Margherita Milone, Stephen Cassivi, Janet Fisher, Chad Heatwole, Thomas Watson, James Hilbert, Alexis Smirnow, B. Jane Distad, Michael Weiss, Douglas Wood, Joanna Haug, Raina Ernstoff, Jingyang Cao, Gary Chmielewski, Robert Welsh, Robin Duris, Laurie Gutmann, Gauri Pawar, Geoffrey Marc Graeber, Patricia Altemus, Christopher Nance, Ludwig Gutmann, Carlayne Jackson, Patrick Grogan, John Calhoon, Pamela Kittrell, Deborah Myers, Ghazala Hayat, Keith Naunheim, Susan Eller, Eve Holzemer, Amer Alshekhlee, Jason Robke, Brenda Karlinchak, Jonathan Katz, Robert Miller, Ralph Roan, Dallas Forshew, John Kissel, Bakri Elsheikh, Patrick Ross, Sharon Chelnick, Richard Lewis, Agnes Acsadi, Frank Baciewicz, Stacey Masse, Janice Massey, Vern Juel, Mark Onaitis, James Lowe, Bernadette Lipscomb, Gaby Thai, Jeffrey Milliken, Veronica Martin, Ronnie Karayan, Suraj Muley, Gareth Parry, Sara Shumway, Shin Oh, Gwen Claussen, Liang Lu, Robert Cerfolio, Angela Young, Marla Morgan, Robert Pascuzzi, John Kincaid, Kenneth Kesler, Sandy Guingrich, Angi Michaels, Lawrence Phillips, Ted Burns, David Jones, Cindy Fischer, Michael Pulley, Alan Berger, Harry D'Agostino, Lisa Smith, Michael Rivner, Jerry Pruitt, Kevin Landolfo, Demetric Hillman, Aziz Shaibani, Angelo Sermas, Ross Ruel, Farah Ismail, Mark Sivak, Martin Goldstein, Jorge Camunas, Joan Bratton, Hill Panitch, Bruce Leavitt, Marilee Jones, Srikanth Muppidi, Steven Vernino, Sharon Nations, Dan Meyer, and Nina Gorham

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, Male, medicine.medical_treatment, Edrophonium, law.invention, 0302 clinical medicine, Randomized controlled trial, law, Prednisone, Longitudinal Studies, MGTX Study Group, Thymectomy, 3. Good health, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Editorial Commentary, Treatment Outcome, 6.1 Pharmaceuticals, Female, medicine.drug, Adult, medicine.medical_specialty, Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities, Clinical Sciences, Autoimmune Disease, Article, 03 medical and health sciences, Young Adult, Rare Diseases, Clinical Research, Internal medicine, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Humans, Adverse effect, myasthenia gravis, mgtx extension study, Intention-to-treat analysis, Neurology & Neurosurgery, business.industry, Neurosciences, Evaluation of treatments and therapeutic interventions, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, Clinical trial, 030104 developmental biology, Neurology (clinical), business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

Summary Background The Thymectomy Trial in Non-Thymomatous Myasthenia Gravis Patients Receiving Prednisone (MGTX) showed that thymectomy combined with prednisone was superior to prednisone alone in improving clinical status as measured by the Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG) score in patients with generalised non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis at 3 years. We investigated the long-term effects of thymectomy up to 5 years on clinical status, medication requirements, and adverse events. Methods We did a rater-blinded 2-year extension study at 36 centres in 15 countries for all patients who completed the randomised controlled MGTX and were willing to participate. MGTX patients were aged 18 to 65 years at enrolment, had generalised non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis of less than 5 years' duration, had acetylcholine receptor antibody titres of 1·00 nmol/L or higher (or concentrations of 0·50–0·99 nmol/L if diagnosis was confirmed by positive edrophonium or abnormal repetitive nerve stimulation, or abnormal single fibre electromyography), had Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America Clinical Classification Class II–IV disease, and were on optimal anticholinesterase therapy with or without oral corticosteroids. In MGTX, patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either thymectomy plus prednisone or prednisone alone. All patients in both groups received oral prednisone at doses titrated up to 100 mg on alternate days until they achieved minimal manifestation status. The primary endpoints of the extension phase were the time-weighted means of the QMG score and alternate-day prednisone dose from month 0 to month 60. Analyses were by intention to treat. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00294658. It is closed to new participants, with follow-up completed. Findings Of the 111 patients who completed the 3-year MGTX, 68 (61%) entered the extension study between Sept 1, 2009, and Aug 26, 2015 (33 in the prednisone alone group and 35 in the prednisone plus thymectomy group). 50 (74%) patients completed the 60-month assessment, 24 in the prednisone alone group and 26 in the prednisone plus thymectomy group. At 5 years, patients in the thymectomy plus prednisone group had significantly lower time-weighted mean QMG scores (5·47 [SD 3·87] vs 9·34 [5·08]; p=0·0007) and mean alternate-day prednisone doses (24 mg [SD 21] vs 48 mg [29]; p=0·0002) than did those in the prednisone alone group. 14 (42%) of 33 patients in the prednisone group, and 12 (34%) of 35 in the thymectomy plus prednisone group, had at least one adverse event by month 60. No treatment-related deaths were reported during the extension phase. Interpretation At 5 years, thymectomy plus prednisone continues to confer benefits in patients with generalised non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis compared with prednisone alone. Although caution is appropriate when generalising our findings because of the small sample size of our study, they nevertheless provide further support for the benefits of thymectomy in patients with generalised non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis. Funding National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Published
2019

46. Disease specific enrichment of circulating let-7 family microRNA in MuSK+ myasthenia gravis

Author

Tanel Punga, Emanuela Bartoccioni, Marta K Lewandowska, Valentina Damato, Anna Rostedt Punga, and Amelia Evoli

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, Male, Medicin och hälsovetenskap, Messenger, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Medical and Health Sciences, Biomarker, Let-7, MG, MicroRNA, Muscle specific tyrosine kinase, MuSK, Myasthenia gravis, Adult, Aged, 80 and over, Autoantibodies, Case-Control Studies, Electromyography, Female, Humans, MicroRNAs, Middle Aged, Myasthenia Gravis, Prednisone, RNA, Messenger, ROC Curve, Receptors, Cholinergic, Young Adult, Receptors, 80 and over, Immunology and Allergy, Cholinergic, Immunology, Neurology, Neurology (clinical), Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Biomarker (medicine), Antibody, Tyrosine kinase, medicine.medical_specialty, Clinical Neurology, Biology, 03 medical and health sciences, Internal medicine, microRNA, medicine, Aged, Acetylcholine receptor, Autoantibody, medicine.disease, Circulating MicroRNA, 030104 developmental biology, Endocrinology, biology.protein, RNA
Abstract

Myasthenia gravis (MG) patients with antibodies against the muscle specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK+) have predominantly involvement of cranio-bulbar muscles and do not display thymus pathology, as do acetylcholine receptor antibody seropositive (AChR+) MG patients. In search of novel biomarkers for MuSK+ MG, we evaluated circulating serum microRNAs. Four analyzed microRNAs were specifically elevated in MuSK+ MG patient serum samples: let-7a-5p, let-7f-5p, miR-151a-3p and miR-423-5p. The circulating microRNA profile in MuSK+ MG differs from the profile previously observed in the serum of AChR+ MG, thus indicating the etiological difference between these two entities. We propose that the identified microRNAs could serve as potential serum biomarkers for MuSK+ MG.

Published
2016
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47. Longitudinal epitope mapping in MuSK myasthenia gravis

Author

Jan J.G.M. Verschuuren, Ruben H. Westhuis, Silvère M. van der Maarel, Robert H.P. de Meel, Rinse Klooster, Jan B. M. Kuks, Jordi Díaz-Manera, Kirsten R. Straasheijm, Maartje G. Huijbers, Isabel Illa, Ricardo Rojas-García, Erik H. Niks, Erik W. van Zwet, Anna-Fleur D. Vink, and Amelia Evoli

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, Male, Statistics as Topic, Neuromuscular junction, Severity of Illness Index, Epitope, 0302 clinical medicine, Receptors, BINDING, 80 and over, Immunology and Allergy, Receptors, Cholinergic, Longitudinal Studies, Myasthenia gravis, Cholinergic, MuSK, Aged, 80 and over, Middle Aged, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, medicine.anatomical_structure, Pyridostigmine, Italy, Neurology, Female, Antibody, medicine.symptom, medicine.drug, Adult, IGG4, Immunology, Epitope mapping, PROTEIN 4, LRP4, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Biology, COLLAGEN Q, 03 medical and health sciences, Young Adult, medicine, IgG4, Aged, Autoantibodies, Cholinesterase Inhibitors, Humans, Myasthenia Gravis, Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, Spain, Epitope Mapping, Neurology (clinical), NEUROMUSCULAR-JUNCTION, RECEPTOR, Pemphigus vulgaris, Muscle weakness, medicine.disease, MUSCLE-SPECIFIC KINASE, 030104 developmental biology, ANTIBODIES, biology.protein, AUTOANTIBODIES, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

Muscle weakness in MuSK myasthenia gravis (MG) is caused predominantly by IgG4 antibodies which block MuSK signalling and destabilize neuromuscular junctions. We determined whether the binding pattern of MuSK IgG4 antibodies change throughout the disease course ("epitope spreading"), and affect disease severity or treatment responsiveness.We mapped the MuSK epitopes of 255 longitudinal serum samples of 53 unique MuSK MG patients from three independent cohorts with ELISA.Antibodies against the MuSK Iglike-1 domain determine disease severity. Epitope spreading outside this domain did not contribute to disease severity nor to pyridostigmine responsiveness. This provides a rationale for epitope specific treatment strategies. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Published
2016

48. Pattern of ocular involvement in myasthenia gravis with MuSK antibodies

Author

Raffaele Iorio, Paolo Emilio Alboini, Valentina Damato, Emanuela Bartoccioni, and Amelia Evoli

Subjects
Male, genetic structures, Ocular myasthenia, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Eye, 0302 clinical medicine, Ptosis, Prednisone, Receptors, MuSK antibodies, Receptors, Cholinergic, Child, Cholinergic, Paresis, Diplopia, immunosuppression, Ophthalmoplegia, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Psychiatry and Mental health, Child, Preschool, myasthenia gravis, ocular myasthenia, ophthalmoparesis, Adolescent, Adult, Female, Humans, Myasthenia Gravis, Retrospective Studies, Autoantibodies, Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, Surgery, Neurology (clinical), Psychiatry and Mental Health, medicine.symptom, medicine.drug, medicine.medical_specialty, Weakness, Ophthalmoparesis, 03 medical and health sciences, medicine, Preschool, business.industry, medicine.disease, Dermatology, eye diseases, Myasthenia gravis, 030221 ophthalmology & optometry, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

Background Myasthenia gravis (MG) with antibodies to the muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) has a characteristic phenotype. Ocular manifestations have not been systematically evaluated. Objective To investigate the features of extrinsic ocular muscle involvement in patients with MuSK-MG. Methods We retrospectively evaluated the prevalence, time of onset, clinical pattern and outcome of ocular symptoms in 82 patients with a clinical follow-up ≥2 years. Results Ocular manifestations were observed in 79 patients (96.4%) and were the presenting symptoms in 48 (58.5%). Intermittent diplopia with subtle ophthalmoparesis was the most common complaint, ptosis was generally symmetrical and conjugated gaze paresis occurred in 35% of the patients. Ocular manifestations responded well to prednisone and partially to symptomatic treatment. A few patients developed chronic symmetrical ophthalmoparesis, associated with persistent weakness in other muscle groups. All patients with ocular presentation progressed to generalised disease, though weakness spread to other muscle groups was considerably delayed in a few cases. Conclusions In MG with antibodies to MuSK, ocular manifestations were as frequent as in other disease subtypes. Symmetrical ophthalmoparesis with conjugated gaze limitation was rather common and associated with low functional disability. A proportion of these patients developed chronic eye muscle paresis.

Published
2017

49. Italian recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of myasthenia gravis

Author

Antonio DiMuzio, Maurizio Inghilleri, Carlo Antozzi, Cesare Iani, Renato Mantegazza, Amelia Evoli, Elena Pegoraro, Rocco Liguori, Carmelo Rodolico, Roberta Ricciardi, Giovanni Antonini, Francesco Habetswallner, Roberto Massa, Evoli, Amelia, Antonini, Giovanni, Antozzi, Carlo, DiMuzio, Antonio, Habetswallner, Francesco, Iani, Cesare, Inghilleri, Maurizio, Liguori, Rocco, Mantegazza, Renato, Massa, Roberto, Pegoraro, Elena, Ricciardi, Roberta, and Rodolico, Carmelo

Subjects
Male, medicine.medical_specialty, Weakness, medicine.medical_treatment, Immunosuppressive therapy, Myasthenia gravis, Plasma exchange, Rituximab, Thymectomy, Female, Humans, Italy, Myasthenia Gravis, Practice Guidelines as Topic, Patient characteristics, Myasthenia gravi, Dermatology, Disease, Settore MED/26, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, myasthenia gravis, thymectomy, plasma exchange, rituximab, medicine, 030212 general & internal medicine, Intensive care medicine, Adverse effect, Radiation treatment planning, business.industry, Immunosuppression, General Medicine, medicine.disease, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Specific antibody, Psychiatry and Mental Health, 2708, Neurology (clinical), medicine.symptom, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

Myasthenia gravis is a well-treatable disease, in which a prompt diagnosis and an adequate management can achieve satisfactory control of symptoms in the great majority of patients. Improved knowledge of the disease pathogenesis has led to recognition of patient subgroups, according to associated antibodies, age at onset and thymus pathology, and to a more personalized treatment. When myasthenia gravis is suspected on clinical grounds, diagnostic confirmation relies mainly on the detection of specific antibodies. Neurophysiological studies and, to a lesser extent, clinical response to cholinesterase inhibitors support the diagnosis in seronegative patients. In these cases, the differentiation from congenital myasthenia can be challenging. Treatment planning must consider weakness extension and severity, disease subtype, thymus pathology, together with patient characteristics and comorbidities. Since most subjects with myasthenia gravis require long-term immunosuppressive therapy, surveillance of expected and potential adverse events is critical. For patients refractory to conventional immunosuppression, the use of biologic agents is highly promising. These recommendations are addressed to non-experts on neuromuscular transmission disorders. The diagnostic procedures and therapeutic approaches hereafter described are largely accessible in Italy.

Published
2018

50. Italian recommendations for diagnosis and management of congenital myasthenic syndromes

Author

Claudio Bruno, Enrico Bertini, Giovanni Antonini, Adele D'Amico, Amelia Evoli, Chiara Fiorillo, Lorenzo Maggi, Matteo Garibaldi, Guja Astrea, Filippo M. Santorelli, Rocco Liguori, Carmelo Rodolico, Renato Mantegazza, Pia Bernasconi, Raffaella Brugnoni, Maggi, Lorenzo, Bernasconi, Pia, D’Amico, Adele, Brugnoni, Raffaella, Fiorillo, Chiara, Garibaldi, Matteo, Astrea, Guja, Bruno, Claudio, Santorelli, Filippo Maria, Liguori, Rocco, Antonini, Giovanni, Evoli, Amelia, Bertini, Enrico, Rodolico, Carmelo, and Mantegazza, Renato

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, Pediatrics, Neurology, Health Planning Guidelines, Myopathy, Myasthenia gravi, Neuromuscular junction, Dermatology, Recommendations, Congenital myasthenic syndrome, 03 medical and health sciences, Congenital, 0302 clinical medicine, health services administration, medicine, Humans, 030212 general & internal medicine, Disease management (health), Myasthenia gravis, health care economics and organizations, Neuroradiology, Myasthenic Syndromes, Congenital, business.industry, Network on, Congenital myasthenic syndromes, Italy, Disease Management, 2708, Neurology (clinical), Psychiatry and Mental Health, General Medicine, Recommendation, medicine.disease, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Myasthenic Syndromes, Neurosurgery, Differential diagnosis, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Myasthenic syndromes
Abstract

Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are genetic disorders due to mutations in genes encoding proteins involved in the neuromuscular junction structure and function. CMS usually present in young children, but perinatal and adult onset has been reported. Clinical presentation is highly heterogeneous, ranging from mild symptoms to severe manifestations, sometimes with life-threatening respiratory episodes, especially in the first decade of life. Although considered rare, CMS are probably underestimated due to diagnostic difficulties. Because of the several therapeutic opportunities, CMS should be always considered in the differential diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders. The Italian Network on CMS proposes here recommendations for proper CMS diagnosis and management, aiming to guide clinicians in their practical approach to CMS patients.

Published
2018

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