title: Genetic factors in myasthenia gravis: a family study.
abstract: We studied forty-four patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and their families. Thirty percent of patients had a confirmed family history of autoimmune disease; in one case this was MG. In all the families with autoimmune disease, the affected relatives were related to the patients through the maternal line. HLA-B8 and DR3 were increased in patients due to the high incidence of these antigens in female, nonthymoma patients with onset before 40 years. HLA-B5 was increased in patients with older onset. The haplotype A1-B8-DR3 was not found to be increased given the presence of B8 or DR3.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester, England.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kerzin-Storrar
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Metcalfe
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kowalska
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D010375:Pedigree; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens