Myasthenia gravis during interferon alfa therapy.
Patients treated with interferon alfa can develop autoantibodies and autoimmune diseases. We describe two patients who developed myasthenia gravis with abnormal levels of serum anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies during interferon alfa-2b treatment for malignancies. One of these patients had myopathic findings on EMG and focal deficiency of cytochrome c oxidase on muscle biopsy.
Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
A P
AP
Batocchi
A
A
Evoli
S
S
Servidei
M T
MT
Palmisani
F
F
Apollo
P
P
Tonali
D030401:Cytochrome-c Oxidase Deficiency; D004576:Electromyography; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV