title: Azathioprine in myasthenia gravis: observations in 41 patients and a review of literature.
abstract: We report azathioprine treatment of 41 patients with myasthenia gravis, with a follow-up of more than 3 yr. The data show that azathioprine is effective in controlling the disease, both as a single drug as well as in combination with prednisone. In addition it may be steroid sparing. Older patients derived more benefit from the medicament. Side-effects could be managed fairly well, except for one patient who developed a non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Data from this study do not support the supposition that the therapeutic effect of azathioprine is dependent on macrocytosis. Fluctuations of serum levels of antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor were simultaneous with clinical changes and thus were not of predictive volume for the clinical course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kuks
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Djojoatmodjo
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Oosterhuis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D013934:Thymectomy
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D001379:Azathioprine