title: Anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies in myasthenia gravis. Part 3. The effect of thymectomy.
abstract: The clinical condition and the serum levels of antibodies to acetylcholine receptor protein were followed in 30 patients with myasthenia gravis before and in a period varying from 2 to 4 (mean 3) yr after thymectomy. Twenty-five patients improved in the 2 yr following thymectomy. A highly significant correlation was found between the change in clinical condition and the change in antibody levels. Only 3 patients improved without a fall of antibody level. Prethymectomy antibody levels were positively correlated with the severity of the clinical condition and with the degree of thymus hypertrophy.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008297:Male; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*; D013934:Thymectomy; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic