Role of Virus for the Induction of Myasthenia gravis

Abstract

Virus has been suggested as an etiological agent in myasthenia gravis. In this investigation 36 patients with the clinical diagnosis of myasthenia gravis were tested for antibodies against ornithosis, mycoplasma pneumoniae and 16 viral antigens. Rabbits with experimentally induced autoimmune myasthenia gravis were similarly tested. There was no overall correlation to any microorganism, which might have suggested the involvement of a viral infection in the pathogenesis of the disease. Neither was there any difference in incidence of antibodies in female patients carrying the HLA B8 antigen, an antigen which is associated with myasthenia gravis, as compared to HLA B8 negative individuals.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae: nervous system complications in childhood and review of the literature

“…In the investigation of Smith CI et al, 36 patients with clinical diagnosis were tested for the antibodies against ornithosis, M. pneumoniae, and 16 viral antigens. No correlation was found with any organism, which might have suggested the involvement of an infection in the pathogenesis of the disease [26]. Molecular mimicry between an antigenic peptide found on the infectious agent and the acelylcholine receptor may be an explanation for the immune response.…”

Myasthenia gravis following Viral Infection

“…Very few studies have been done in this direction. Smith et al [1978] tested patients with MG for antibodies against ornithosis, myco plasma pneumoniae, and 16 viral antigens. They could not demonstrate correlation to any microorganism.…”

“…1975] and the possibility that vi ruses may be involved in the etiology of MG has already been postulated by some authors [Dalta and Schwartz. 1974;Tindall cl al.. 1978;Smith et al. 1978;Abdou et al.…”

Tissue-specific antibodies in myasthenia gravis.

“…They probably result from a breakdown in tolerance either to normal muscle AChR or to an altered AChR-like protein. It has been suggested, for instance, that viral modification of membrane proteins may be responsible (Datta and Schwartz 1974), and there have been some recent attempts to implicate virus infection in MG (for example, Tindall et al, 1978), although in some studies the level of immunity to virus was not abnormal in MG patients (Smith et al, 1978). Whatever the stimulus, any theory of the aetiology of MG must take into account the role of the thymus.…”