title: Two cases of thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis without antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor.
abstract: Thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis is considered a more severe disease compared with non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis and is generally associated with antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR-Ab). Even though a single case of thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis with anti-muscle specific kinase (MuSK) antibodies has been reported, to our knowledge, seronegative thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis has not been described. We report on two cases of this disease without antibodies to AChR or MuSK as a further evidence of the variability of myasthenia gravis in terms of antibody profile and thymic pathological findings.
authors.affiliation: Immunology and Muscular Pathology Unit, Neurological Institute Foundation Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133 Milano, Italy. lorenzo.maggi@istituto-besta.it
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andreetta
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antozzi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Confalonieri
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cornelio
authors.forename: Vidmer
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Scaioli
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mantegazza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; C095714:MUSK protein, human; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases