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Coexistence of myasthenia gravis and serological markers of neurological autoimmunity in neuromyelitis optica
Author(s) -
McKeon Andrew,
Len Vanda A.,
Jacob Anu,
Matiello Marcelo,
Lucchinetti Claudia F.,
Kale Nilufer,
Chan Koon H.,
Weinshenker Brian G.,
Apiwattinakul Metha,
Wingerchuk Dean M.,
Pittock Sean J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.21197
Subject(s) - neuromyelitis optica , myasthenia gravis , autoantibody , medicine , multiple sclerosis , autoimmunity , serology , acetylcholine receptor , immunology , pathology , antibody , receptor
We systematically evaluated the frequency of neurological disorders and muscle and neural autoantibodies in 177 patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and in 250 control subjects (173 healthy; 77 multiple sclerosis, MS, patients). An excess of myasthenia gravis (MG, 2%), and muscle‐type acetylcholine receptor antibody (11%) was detected among NMO patients. The presence of neural or muscle autoantibodies was more common in NMO patients (34%) than in MS patients or healthy controls (7%), P < 0.0001. The coexistence of NMO and MG should be considered in atypical or refractory presentations of either disorder. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Muscle Nerve 39: 87–90, 2009