This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Genetic Disorders  • Immunologic Disorders  • Neurogenetics  • Myasthenia Gravis  • Neuromuscular diseases  • Neuropathology  • Alert me on articles by topic

Christian Amdahl; Espen H. Alseth; Nils E. Gilhus, MD, PhD; Hanne L. Nakkestad; Geir O. Skeie, MD, PhD

Arch Neurol. 2007;64(12):1729-1733.

Background  Relevant genetic markers for myasthenia gravis (MG) include tumor necrosis factors and β, Fc receptor IIa, and interleukin 10. The corresponding gene products are thought to be involved in MG pathogenesis.

Objectives  To investigate whether MG susceptibility correlates with specific combinations of genetic markers and to compare the contribution of each marker.

Participants  Forty-seven patients with MG and 92 healthy blood donors.

Main Outcome Measures  Presence of tumor necrosis factors and β, Fc receptor IIa, and interleukin 10 genotypes and autoantibodies against nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, titin, and ryanodine receptor.

Results  Susceptibility to MG increases with an increasing number of genetic markers in both thymomatous MG and MG with titin antibodies but not in early-onset MG. In thymomatous MG, Fc receptor IIa allelic variants seem to be the most important determinant of disease.

Conclusion  Specific combinations of allelic variants individually associated with MG synergize in predisposing to thymomatous MG and MG with titin antibodies.

Author Affiliations: Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen (Messrs Amdahl and Alseth, Drs Gilhus and Skeie, and Ms Nakkestad), and Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital (Drs Gilhus and Skeie), Bergen, Norway.