Myasthenia Gravis
A Clinical and Basic Science Review
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
MYASTHENIA gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder caused by antibodies directed against the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) of skeletal muscle. Although the prevalence of MG is only about one per 20,000 people in the United States, it is the best studied and best understood of the neuroreceptor disorders. As such, it is likely to serve as the prototype for the understanding of more common organ-specific autoimmune disorders.
Clinical Characteristics Myasthenia gravis has no racial or geographic predilection. Although it is extremely rare during the first two years of life, MG may occur at almost any age. Females are affected more commonly than males (about 2:1), and this female preponderance is most striking during young adulthood. The disease shows decreasing sexual preference with increasing age and may even show a slight male preponderance in the elderly. Familial cases are uncommon, and no consistent HLA type or genetic inheritance pattern has been identified.
Footnotes
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Reprint requests to Neurology Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA 92161 (Dr Seybold).
