A tri-modal distribution of age-of-onset in female patients with myasthenia gravis is associated with the gender-related clinical differences.
Int J Neurosci
; 129(4): 313-319, 2019 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30260722
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
A tri-modal distribution of age-at-onset emerged among females patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) in our database. This finding may be indicative of different gender-based disease mechanisms.METHODS:
We retrospectively reviewed the files of 127 MG patients for the clinical, serology and thymus pathology according to their age at disease onset ≤40 years (early-onset, EOMG), 40-70 years (intermediate-onset, IOMG) and >70 years (late-onset, LOMG).RESULTS:
EOMG was more common among females, and IOMG was more common among males. Ocular MG was more common among the male MG patients with an IOMG. Patients with EOMG had lower rates of positive anti-acetylcholine receptor (anti-AChR). IOMG females, but not IOMG males, had lower rates of positive anti-AChR. IOMG and EOMG females had high rates of thymic hyperplasia, while EOMG males had high rates of thymoma. Comorbidity with autoimmune diseases was common among females with IOMG and LOMG.CONCLUSIONS:
The prevalence of IOMG was the reason for the trend reversal of MG prevalence between genders. The clinical features of patients with IOMG differed between genders in the rates of positive anti-AChR, follicular hyperplasia of the thymus and comorbidity with autoimmune diseases. This may suggest a different gender-based mechanism of immune intolerance towards AChR and other antigens.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Hiperplasia do Timo
/
Miastenia Gravis
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adult
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Aged
/
Female
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Humans
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Male
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Neurosci
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Israel