Introduction: Environmental factors may contribute to myasthenia gravis (MG) development, sometimes with seasonal patterns of exposure. However, whether seasonality has an impact on MG incidence remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between seasonality and MG onset.
Methods: We reviewed data of MG patients with acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-IgG and disease onset between January 2010-December 2019, from two Italian cohorts: 1) an hospital-based cohort and 2) a population-based cohort. MG cases were assigned to four season-trimesters based on month of onset to determine seasonal association with MG incidence.
Results: We enrolled 316 patients:214 in the hospital-based and 102 in the population-based cohort. Median age at onset was 66 years (range, 8-92); Female accounted for 41.1 %. The median number of new MG cases per season-trimester was significantly higher in summer than other trimesters (p = 0.009), and associated with higher environmental temperatures.
Discussion: Our findings suggest that MG onset may be more common in summer and at higher environmental temperatures. Identifying the determinants of this association may improve our understanding of disease pathophysiology.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroim.2025.578524 | DOI Listing |
J Neuroimmunol
January 2025
Neurology Unit, University Hospital of Sassari, Sassari, Italy. Electronic address:
Introduction: Environmental factors may contribute to myasthenia gravis (MG) development, sometimes with seasonal patterns of exposure. However, whether seasonality has an impact on MG incidence remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between seasonality and MG onset.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder affecting neuromuscular junctions, leading to fluctuating muscle weakness. While many patients respond well to standard immunosuppression, a substantial subgroup faces ongoing disease activity. Emerging treatments such as complement factor C5 inhibition (C5IT) and neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) antagonism hold promise for these patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
January 2025
Department for Neuromuscular Disease, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK.
Background: We report our experience of patients with generalised myasthenia gravis (gMG) treated with efgartigimod, an neonatal Fc receptor antagonist, under the Early Access to Medicine Scheme (EAMS) in the UK.
Methods: Data from all UK patients treated with efgartigimod under the EAMS July 2022 to July 2023 were collected retrospectively. Efgartigimod was administered as per the ADAPT protocol (consisting of a treatment cycle of four infusions at weekly intervals with further cycles given according to clinical need).
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
January 2025
Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
Int J Mol Sci
December 2024
Department of Neurology, Davis School of Medicine, University of California, 1515 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95618, USA.
We have designed and produced 39 amino acid peptide mimics of the and human acetylcholine receptors' (AChRs) main immunogenic regions (MIRs). These conformationally sensitive regions consist of three non-contiguous segments of the AChR α-subunits and are the target of 50-70% of the anti-AChR autoantibodies (Abs) in human myasthenic serum and in the serum of rats with a model of that disease, experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG), induced by immunizing the rats with the electric organ AChR. These MIR segments covalently joined together bind a significant fraction of the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) raised in rats against electric organ AChR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!