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Long‐term effect of intravenous immunoglobulin on anti‐MuSK antibody‐positive myasthenia gravis
Author(s) -
ShibataHamaguchi A.,
Samuraki M.,
Furui E.,
Iwasa K.,
Yoshikawa H.,
Hayashi S.,
Yamada M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2007.00877.x
Subject(s) - myasthenia gravis , plasmapheresis , medicine , antibody , tacrolimus , intravenous immunoglobulin therapy , immunology , corticosteroid , acetylcholine receptor , gastroenterology , receptor , transplantation
Anti‐muscle‐specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK) antibody‐positive myasthenia gravis (MG) patients show various responses to conventional immunosuppressive treatment and some patients are resistant to these therapies. We report a 50‐year‐old Japanese man with anti‐MuSK antibody‐positive MG, who showed no or poor response to various therapies, including plasmapheresis, corticosteroid, and tacrolimus. The patient was then treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and showed a good response that persisted over 20 months. The outcome of this case suggests that IVIG treatment may be an effective therapeutic option for anti‐MuSK antibody‐positive MG, with a potentially long‐term effect.