Involvement of HLA in clinical courses of myasthenia gravis |
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Authors: | M Hayashi K Kida I Yamada H Matsuda S Sonoda H Inoue S Shiga |
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Affiliation: | Department of Pediatrics, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan. |
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Abstract: | The relationship between the histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA) phenotypes and the clinical course of myasthenia gravis (MG) was studied in 53 Japanese patients with MG. The frequency of HLA-DRw9 antigen was high in the MG patients who did not need immunosuppressive therapy but only anticholinesterase agents (RR = 4.52; CP less than 0.02), who achieved remission of the disease (RR = 2.98; CP less than 0.05) or who showed a decrease in AChR antibody (Ab) titer (RR = 6.32; CP less than 0.0002), whereas the frequency of HLA-DRw8 antigen was increased in MG patients who underwent immunosuppressive therapy (RR = 4.03; CP less than 0.01), who did not have remission (RR = 4.75; CP less than 0.1) or who showed an increase in AChR Ab titer (RR = 6.48; CP less than 0.01). These data suggest that immunogenetic heterogeneity in MG might be reflected in its clinical course. |
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