The thymus and myasthenia gravis: immunological and neurophysiological aspects

Carrieri, Pietro B
Marano, Enrico
Perretti, Anna
Caruso, Giuseppe

From the Department of Neurological Sciences, University 'Federico II', Naples, Italy.

Correspondence: Pietro B Carrieri, MD, Department of Neurological Sciences, University 'Federico II', Via S Pansini 5, I-80131 Naples, Italy. E-mail: [email protected], Fax: +39 081 7462783.

Annals of Medicine 31:p 52-56, October 1999.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder, in which end-plate membrane damage is induced by antibodies directed toward various epitopes of the main immunogenic region of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). This article reviews the mechanisms responsible for the development of MG. Recent investigations into the roles of the thymus, antibodies against AChR, cytokines, and neuromuscular transmission have given new insight into the pathogenesis of MG. These new advances have led to a better understanding of the immune mechanisms in MG and have opened new therapeutic horizons.