PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “MYASTHENIA”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

A randomized double-blind trial of prednisolone alone or with azathioprine in myasthenia gravis. Myasthenia Gravis Study Group.

We compared prednisolone (PRED) and azathioprine (AZA) versus prednisolone alone in the treatment of MG. Prednisolone alone or combined with azathioprine is widely used in the treatment of MG, but no randomized placebo-controlled comparative trial data are available. The prednisolone dose and clinical outcome were compared in a multicenter randomized double-blind study of 34 MG patients who were followed up for 3 years. One group (PRED + AZA) received prednisolone (on alternate days) plus azathioprine (2.5 mg/kg); the other group received prednisolone on alternate days plus placebo (PRED + PLAC). Initial high-dose prednisolone (1.5 mg/kg on alternate days) was tapered at remission to the minimal dose required to maintain remission. The prednisolone dose did not differ significantly between the two groups at 1 year (median values: PRED + AZA, 37.5 mg on alternate days; PRED + PLAC, 45 mg on alternate days) but was reduced at 2 and 3 years in the PRED + AZA group (median value at 3 years: PRED + AZA, 0 mg on alternate days; PRED + PLAC, 40 mg on alternate days; p=0.02). Relapses and failures to remit over the 3 years were more frequent in the PRED + PLAC group. There was a sharp rise in the anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) titers in the PRED + PLAC group at 2 years. Incidence of side effects was slightly less in the PRED + AZA group. Azathioprine as an adjunct to alternate day prednisolone in the treatment of antibody-positive generalized MG reduces the maintenance dose of prednisolone and is associated with fewer treatment failures, longer remissions, and fewer side effects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Immunologic studies on myasthenia gravis. II: A new chemotactic factor for lymphocytes found in patients with myasthenia gravis.

A specific chemotactic factor for lymphocytes was found in thymic tissue extract from myasthenic patients who had undergone thymectomy. Biologic activities and the biochemical nature of this factor were examined. The major findings were as follows: (1) The factor from myasthenic thymus was specifically chemotactic for T lymphocytes. Marker analysis of target cells revealed that only OKT4 positive cells (helper/inducer T cells) responded to the factor. Chemotactic activity was also found in the normal thymus, but its activity was different from that found in the myasthenic thymus. Interestingly, OKT8 positive cells (suppressor/cytotoxic T cells), as well as OKT4 positive cells, migrated toward the normal thymic extract (2) Chromatography of the extract by gel filtration gave three peaks with chemotactic activity; molecular size were 160,000 to 100,000, 25,000 to 15,000, and smaller than 1350 daltons (3) The factor was inactivated by heating for 30 minutes at 56 degree C and was also destroyed under conditions of pH 4 and pH 10. The factor was also sensitive to treatment by trypsin, sodium metaperiodata, 8 mol/L urea, reduction, or alkylation. (4) The chemotactic activity in the myasthenic thymus was distinct from other known chemotactic factors, including C5a, interleukin-1, and interleukin-2. (5) Chemotactic activity for lymphocytes was found in both the aqueous extract and the culture supernatant of thymic stromal cells, but not in thymocyte extract or in the serum. These findings indicate that the chemotactic factor specific for OKT4 positive cells may be secreted by stromal cells of the myasthenic thymus but not of the normal thymus.

Adolescent↗