title: [Therapeutic strategies against myasthenia gravis].
abstract: Many patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) still find it difficult to maintain daily activities due to chronic residual fatigability and long-term side effects of oral corticosteroids, since full remission is not common. Our analysis demonstrated that disease severity, oral corticosteroids, and depressive state are the major factors negatively associated with QOL, and that QOL of MM status patients taking < or = 5 mg prednisolne/day is identically good as that seen in CSR and is a target of treatment. In order to achieve early MM or better status with prednisolne < or = 5 mg/day, we advocate the early aggressive treatment strategy that can achieve early improvement by performing an aggressive therapy using combined treatment with plasmapheresis and high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone and then maintain an improved status using low-dose oral corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hanamaki General Hospital.
authors.forename: Kimiaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Utsugisawa
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagane
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011239:Prednisolone