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A clinical and immunological study of a myasthenia gravis patient treated with infliximab
M Kakoulidou1, S Bjelak, R Pirskanen
1Immunological Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Objectives:
To measure clinical and immunological parameters in a patient with myasthenia gravis (MG) treated with antibodies against tumour necrosis factor-alpha (infliximab, Remicade).
Patient And Methods:
A patient with severe MG received repeated injections of infliximab. His muscle function score was monitored and the immunological parameters were followed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry and radioimmunoassay.
Results:
The patient improved in muscle fatigability tests and the levels of antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor decreased during treatment. The activation marker human leucocyte antigen-DR on CD4(+) T cells also decreased.
Conclusion:
Treatment with infliximab might be beneficial for patients with severe MG but demands careful monitoring of possible serious side-effects.
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