Publications by authors named "Maike Stein"

Background And Objectives: Biologics that target pathogenic antibodies (Abs) and their effector functions such as the complement inhibitor ravulizumab and the neonatal Fc receptor agonist efgartigimod have recently been approved for the treatment of acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-Ab-positive myasthenia gravis (MG), but comparative studies are lacking.

Methods: In a prospective, exploratory real-world study, we assessed clinical efficacy, safety, and biological effects of ravulizumab and efgartigimod treatment initiation. Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living and Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis scores were used as clinical endpoints.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * The research identified 12 significant genetic markers linked to MG, with certain markers associated specifically with early-onset (under 50) and late-onset (50 and older) forms of the disease.
  • * Additionally, the study highlighted the potential role of genetic factors in determining the age of disease onset and demonstrated that polygenic risk scores could help predict MG status, explaining over 4% of the variation in disease presence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Recent years have seen a rapid growth in the number of online health communities targeted at patients with long-term conditions. Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a rare neurological disease for which such communities have not been analysed before. The aim of this study was to better understand the needs of the MG population through the collation and categorisation of questions that users of MG social media were asking fellow users on these platforms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease that causes fluctuating muscle weakness, significantly impacting pregnant women and potentially affecting their newborns with conditions like transient neonatal myasthenia gravis (TNMG) and arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC).
  • A study analyzed 66 pregnancies among women with MG, finding that 63% experienced worsening symptoms during pregnancy, but no patients had a myasthenic crisis and the need for acute treatment was low.
  • Overall, maternal and neonatal outcomes were positive, with normal rates of cesarean and slightly higher rates of operative vaginal delivery, providing valuable insights for healthcare providers advising MG patients who wish to have children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease leading to muscle weakness and potentially life-threatening myasthenic crises (MC) that require intensive care, but there are currently no established lab tests to predict disease progression in MG patients
  • - A study analyzed lab parameters related to inflammation in 58 MG patients, finding that 15 experienced at least one MC, with no significant differences based on antibody status or sex
  • - Results suggest that increased counts of basophils, neutrophils, leukocytes, and platelets may indicate a higher risk of myasthenic crisis, providing a possible method for assessing risk in MG patients
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is an autoimmune-mediated neuromuscular disorder leading to muscle weakness, autonomic dysregulation and hyporeflexia. Psychosocial well-being is affected. Previously, we assessed burden of disease for Myasthenia gravis (MG).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease that significantly affects family planning, with many patients opting against parenthood due to the impact of their symptoms.
  • The study analyzed data from 1,660 MG patients, highlighting challenges related to pregnancy and raising children, along with the perceived need for social support, particularly in negotiations with health insurers and transportation to appointments.
  • Results indicated that a notable percentage of patients reported lower levels of social support, especially among those with moderate disease severity or medium incomes, emphasizing the importance of supportive networks for MG patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aims: Myasthenia Gravis requires expert treatment from specialized neurologists. In Germany, this treatment is mainly provided by 18 Integrated Myasthenia Centers (iMZ) accredited by the German Myasthenia Gravis Association (DMG). The DMG is a large and well-organized patient organisation that is regarded as a trusted source for disease-specific information.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mougeotia scalaris is a filamentous streptophyte alga renowned for light-inducible plastid rotation and microtubule-dependent polarity establishment. As a first step toward transgenic approaches we determined the 5,825 base pair genomic sequence encoding the α-tubulin1 gene (MsTUA1) of M. scalaris (strain SAG 164.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF