title: Involvement of HLA in clinical courses of myasthenia gravis.
abstract: The relationship between the histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA) phenotypes and the clinical course of myasthenia gravis (MG) was studied in 53 Japanese patients with MG. The frequency of HLA-DRw9 antigen was high in the MG patients who did not need immunosuppressive therapy but only anticholinesterase agents (RR = 4.52; CP less than 0.02), who achieved remission of the disease (RR = 2.98; CP less than 0.05) or who showed a decrease in AChR antibody (Ab) titer (RR = 6.32; CP less than 0.0002), whereas the frequency of HLA-DRw8 antigen was increased in MG patients who underwent immunosuppressive therapy (RR = 4.03; CP less than 0.01), who did not have remission (RR = 4.75; CP less than 0.1) or who showed an increase in AChR Ab titer (RR = 6.48; CP less than 0.01). These data suggest that immunogenetic heterogeneity in MG might be reflected in its clinical course.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Hayashi
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Kida
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Yamada
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Matsuda
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sonoda
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Inoue
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Shiga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; C041559:HLA-DR8 antigen; C038988:HLA-DR9 antigen; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic