Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2025
Antigenic Liposomes for Generation of Disease-specific Antibodies
Published on: October 25, 2018
Clinical characteristics of anti-AChR-MuSK-LRP4 antibody-negative myasthenia gravis in China
Wenbo Li1,2, Peipei Liu2,3, Weike Cui2,4
1Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Introduction/Aims:
Descriptions of the clinical characteristics of anti-AChR-MuSK-LRP4 antibody-negative myasthenia gravis (triple-negative myasthenia gravis, TNMG) are lacking in the current literature. Therefore, we investigated the clinical characteristics of TNMG in Chinese patients.
Methods:
We retrospectively analyzed 925 patients with MG registered in the Department of Neuroimmunology, Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences from January 2015 to March 2021.
Results:
One hundred six patients diagnosed with TNMG were included in the study. The average age of onset was 32.4 y, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1. The age of onset showed a bimodal distribution: 0-9 y and 40-49 y. Adult patients were more likely to have weakness of limb and bulbar muscles (p < .05). Thymic hyperplasia was found in 20.2% of the patients. Younger patients were more likely to relapse. The rate of adult early-onset myasthenia gravis reaching complete stable remission and pharmacological remission was 47.6%, and the prognosis was better than that in juvenile-onset myasthenia gravis (p = .019). Older age of onset was the only risk factor for the development of generalized TNMG from ocular TNMG (R = 1.046, p = .002, 95% confidence interval 1.017-1.077).
Discussion:
This study showed that the clinical characteristics of patients with TNMG varied among the different age groups. Significant findings included a bimodal distribution of onset age, coexisting thymic hyperplasia, and a generally favorable prognosis.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Myasthenia Gravis: Overview and Treatment
These antibodies interfere with the function of the nicotinic receptors in three ways: by binding to the receptor and disrupting acetylcholine binding; by causing cross-linking of receptors which...
01:15Myasthenia Gravis: Diagnostic Tests
The edrophonium test is a diagnostic tool for myasthenia gravis. It involves...
01:26Chemical Synapses
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
01:28Disorders of the Skeletal Muscle
Musculoskeletal disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders involve injuries and conditions affecting the skeletal muscles and associated connective tissues. These disorders can arise from acute biomechanical stresses or chronic overuse and can occur across different age groups. Common injuries include sprains, fractures, and muscular strains, often resulting from...
01:25Cholinergic Receptors: Muscarinic
The subtypes M1, M3, and M5 couple with the Gq subunit and activate the phospholipase C (PLC) activity, mobilizing intracellular Ca2+....
01:17Nondepolarizing (Competitive) Neuromuscular Blockers: Mechanism of Action
Competitive antagonists prevent acetylcholine from binding to its receptor, inhibiting membrane depolarization. Without conformational changes or intrinsic...