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Treatment of autoimmune myasthenia gravis

From the University of California, Davis, CA.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. David P. Richman or Dr. Mark A. Agius, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616; e-mail: dprichman{at}ucdavis.edu or maagius@ucdavis.edu

Autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG) is associated with antibodies directed against the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) in 85% of patients. Other postsynaptic neuromuscular junction antigens are implicated, e.g., muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK), in a number of the remaining 15% of patients, so-called seronegative MG. The autoimmune attack generally leads to decreased concentrations of the AChR and damage to the structure of the endplate itself. This information has guided the empiric treatment of patients with MG and has suggested new treatment strategies. Whereas the outcome of patients with MG has improved because of more effective symptomatic treatment, including advances in critical care medicine and the use of cholinesterase inhibitors, the greatest advances have come from therapies that directly reduce the autoimmune attack or modify its effects on the AChR and the surrounding endplate. Immune-directed treatment of patients with MG, which is guided by this information and by data from the management of other autoimmune disease, is aimed at inducing an immunologic remission and then maintaining that remission. Remission induction is usually accomplished through the use of high-dose corticosteroids, frequently in conjunction with IV immunoglobulin or plasmapheresis. Maintenance of the remission is usually accomplished by slow tapering of the corticosteroids along with the use of "steroid-sparing" agents, which include azathioprine, thymectomy, and possibly mycophenolate. Therapy usually begins with cholinesterase inhibitors. If necessary, immune-directed treatment is added, beginning with either thymectomy or high-dose corticosteroids. The short-term therapies, i.e., IV immunoglobulin or plasmapheresis, may be effective in the early stages of treatment or later during an exacerbation. Steroid-sparing medications are usually added to facilitate the tapering phase.

Received February 25, 2003. Accepted in final form August 5, 2003.

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