title: Involvement of mitochondria in myasthenia gravis complicated with dermatomyositis and rheumatoid arthritis: a case report.
abstract: We report a 57-year-old male with myasthenia gravis complicated with dermatomyositis and rheumatoid arthritis without evidence of thymoma. He showed prominent muscle wasting and weakness in the four extremities and trunk in addition to swallowing disturbance. He showed intolerance to exercise on a bicycle ergometer, and muscle biopsy specimens demonstrated ragged-red fibers. An anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody was detected in his serum but no anti-mitochondrial M2 component antibody was found. In contrast, results of immunohistochemical study indicated that his serum sample reacted to muscle mitochondria as well as AChR. These results indicate the presence of an unidentified anti-mitochondrial antibody that may be involved in the development of mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle of the present patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Sciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School of Medicine, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, 770-8503, Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Kana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shichijo
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsui
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kunishige
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Kenjiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009243:NAD / Q000378:metabolism; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000378:metabolism; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D009243:NAD; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III