Back to Search
Start Over
Thymus histology and concomitant autoimmune diseases in Japanese patients with muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase-antibody-positive myasthenia gravis
- Source :
- European Journal of Neurology. 20(9):1272-1276
- Publication Year :
- 2013
- Publisher :
- Blackwell Publishing, 2013.
-
Abstract
- Background and purpose: The differences in the characteristics of thymus histology, coexisting autoimmune diseases and related autoantibodies between anti-muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK)-antibody (Ab)-positive myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, and anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-Ab-positive MG patients are not clearly defined. Methods: The types of thymus histology, coexisting autoimmune diseases and associated Abs in 83 MuSK-Ab-positive patients nationwide were investigated and were compared with those in AChR-Ab-positive patients followed at our institute (n = 83). As for the autoantibodies associated with thymoma, titin Abs were measured. Results: Thymoma was not present in any of the MuSK-Ab-positive patients but presented in 21 patients (25.3%) amongst the AChR-Ab-positive patients. Titin Abs were absent in MuSK-Ab-positive patients but positive in 25 (30.1%) of the AChR-Ab-positive patients. Concomitant autoimmune diseases were present in eight MuSK-Ab-positive patients (9.6%) amongst whom Hashimoto's thyroiditis and rheumatoid arthritis predominated, whereas 22 AChR-Ab-positive patients (26.5%) had one or more concomitant autoimmune diseases of which Graves' disease predominated. Conclusions: Differences in frequency of thymoma and thymic hyperplasia, coexisting autoimmune diseases and autoantibody positivity between MuSK-Ab-positive and AChR-Ab-positive MG were indicated, suggesting that, in contrast with AChR-Ab-positive MG, thymus does not seem to be involved in the pathogenic mechanisms of MuSK-Ab-positive MG.<br />European Journal of Neurology, 20(9), pp.1272-1276; 2013
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
Pathology
medicine.medical_specialty
Thymoma
Radioimmunoassay
Thymus Gland
Autoantigens
Receptor tyrosine kinase
Thyroiditis
Autoimmune Diseases
Asian People
mental disorders
medicine
Humans
Connectin
Receptors, Cholinergic
Myasthenia gravis
Autoantibodies
biology
business.industry
Autoantibody
Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
Thymus Neoplasms
Middle Aged
Hyperplasia
medicine.disease
musculoskeletal system
Muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase
Thymus
Associated autoimmune disease
Neurology
Rheumatoid arthritis
Concomitant
Titin antibodies
Immunology
biology.protein
Female
Thymus Hyperplasia
Neurology (clinical)
business
psychological phenomena and processes
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 13515101
- Volume :
- 20
- Issue :
- 9
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- European Journal of Neurology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....be324cd75158d53082e885d67776d290