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B cells in the pathophysiology of myasthenia gravis.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Yi, JS; Guptill, JT; Stathopoulos, P; Nowak, RJ; O'Connor, KC
Published in: Muscle Nerve
February 2018

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an archetypal autoimmune disease. The pathology is characterized by autoantibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) in most patients or to muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) in others and to a growing number of other postsynaptic proteins in smaller subsets. A decrease in the number of functional AChRs or functional interruption of the AChR within the muscle end plate of the neuromuscular junction is caused by pathogenic autoantibodies. Although the molecular immunology underpinning the pathology is well understood, much remains to be learned about the cellular immunology contributing to the production of autoantibodies. This Review documents research concerning the immunopathology of MG, bringing together evidence principally from human studies with an emphasis on the role of adaptive immunity and B cells in particular. Proposed mechanisms for autoimmunity, which take into account that different types of MG may incorporate divergent immunopathology, are offered. Muscle Nerve 57: 172-184, 2018.

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Published In

Muscle Nerve

DOI

EISSN

1097-4598

Publication Date

February 2018

Volume

57

Issue

2

Start / End Page

172 / 184

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • T-Lymphocytes
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Neoplasms
  • Myasthenia Gravis
  • Immunotherapy
  • Humans
  • B-Lymphocytes
  • 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences
 

Citation

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Yi, J. S., Guptill, J. T., Stathopoulos, P., Nowak, R. J., & O’Connor, K. C. (2018). B cells in the pathophysiology of myasthenia gravis. Muscle Nerve, 57(2), 172–184. https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.25973
Yi, John S., Jeffrey T. Guptill, Panos Stathopoulos, Richard J. Nowak, and Kevin C. O’Connor. “B cells in the pathophysiology of myasthenia gravis.Muscle Nerve 57, no. 2 (February 2018): 172–84. https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.25973.
Yi JS, Guptill JT, Stathopoulos P, Nowak RJ, O’Connor KC. B cells in the pathophysiology of myasthenia gravis. Muscle Nerve. 2018 Feb;57(2):172–84.
Yi, John S., et al. “B cells in the pathophysiology of myasthenia gravis.Muscle Nerve, vol. 57, no. 2, Feb. 2018, pp. 172–84. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/mus.25973.
Yi JS, Guptill JT, Stathopoulos P, Nowak RJ, O’Connor KC. B cells in the pathophysiology of myasthenia gravis. Muscle Nerve. 2018 Feb;57(2):172–184.
Journal cover image

Published In

Muscle Nerve

DOI

EISSN

1097-4598

Publication Date

February 2018

Volume

57

Issue

2

Start / End Page

172 / 184

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • T-Lymphocytes
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Neoplasms
  • Myasthenia Gravis
  • Immunotherapy
  • Humans
  • B-Lymphocytes
  • 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences