Hostname: page-component-54dcc4c588-sdd8f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-12T20:31:29.506Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Effect of Plasmapheresis on Post-Thymectomy Ocular Dysfunction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

C.W. Olanow ,
A.D. Roses  and
J.W. Fay
C.W. Olanow*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine (Division of Neurology), Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Department of Medicine (Division of Hematology-Oncology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
A.D. Roses*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine (Division of Neurology), Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Department of Medicine (Division of Hematology-Oncology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
J.W. Fay*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine (Division of Neurology), Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Department of Medicine (Division of Hematology-Oncology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
*
Department of Medicine (Neurology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham. North Carolina, USA. 27710
Department of Medicine (Neurology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham. North Carolina, USA. 27710
Department of Medicine (Neurology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham. North Carolina, USA. 27710
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary:

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Five myasthenia gravis patients with post-thymectomy residual ocular signs were treated with plasmapheresis. Despite a significant reduction in AChR antibody titer, there was no clinical improvement. Subsequently, there was a dramatic response to prednisone. The AChR antibody titer did not correlate with the clinical state of the individual patient. It is suggested that plasmapheresis may operate by removing a thymic factor and that prednisone acts by a different mechanism.

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , May 1981 , pp. 169 - 172
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1981

References

Behan, P.O., Shakir, R.A., Simpson, J.A., Burnett, A.K., Allan, T.L., and Haase, G. (1979). Plasma exchange combined with immunosuppressive therapy in myasthenia gravis. Lancet 2:438–440.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dau, P.C., Lindstrom, J.M., Cassel, C.K., Dennys, E.H., Shev, E.V., and Spitler, L.E. (1977). Plasmapheresis and immunosuppressive drug therapy in myasthenia gravis. N. Eng. J. Med. 297:1134–1140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kao, I., and Drachman, D.B. (1977). Myasthenic immunoglobulin accelerates acetylcholine receptor degradation. Science 196:527–529.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lennon, V.A., and Lambert, E.H. (1980). Myasthenia gravis induced by monoclonal antibodies to acetylcholine receptors. Nature 285:238–240.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lindstrom, J.M., Seybold, M.E., Lennon, V.A., Whittingham, S., and Duane, V.D. (1976). Antibody to acetylcholine receptor in myasthenia gravis. Neurology 26:1054–1059.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mcadams, M., and Roses, A.D. (1980). Comparison of antigen sources for acetylcholine receptor antibody assays in myasthenia gravis. Ann. Neurol. 8:61–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Newsom-Davis, J., Pinching, A.J., Vincent, A., and Wilson, S.G. (1978). Function of circulating antibody to acetylcholine receptor in myasthenia gravis: investigation by plasma exchange. Neurology 28:266–272.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Newsom-Davis, J., Vincent, A., Wilson, SO., and Ward, CD. (1979). Long term effects of repeated plasma exchange in myasthenia gravis. Lancet I (issue 81 14):464–468.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olanow, C.W., Lane, R.J.M., and Roses, A.D. (In Press), (a) Thymectomy in late onset myasthenia gravis. Neurology.Google Scholar
Olanow, C.W., Lane, R.J.M., and Roses, A.D. (In Press), (b) Acetycholine receptor antibody levels following thymectomy in myasthenia gravis. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.Google Scholar
Olanow, C.W., and Roses, A.D. (In Press) (c). The role of the thymus gland in myasthenia gravis; – a hypothesis.Google Scholar
Osserman, K.E.. and Genkins, G. (1972). Studies in myasthenia gravis: Review of a twenty year experience in over 1200 patients. Mt. Sinai J. Med. 38:497–537.Google Scholar
Pinching, A.J., Peters, D.K., and Newsom-Davis, J. (1976). Remission of myasthenia gravis following plasma exchange. Lancet 2:1373–1376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reinhez, E.L., and Schlossman, S.F. (1980). Regulation of the immune response-inducer and suppressor T-lymphocyte subsets in human beings. N. Eng. J. Med. 303:370–373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roses, A.D., Olanow, C.W., McAdams, M.W., and Lane, R.J.M. (IN PRESS). There is no direct correlation between the serum anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody levels and the clinical status of individual patients with myasthenia gravis. Neurology.Google Scholar
Toyka, K.V., Drachman, D.B., Grifin, D.E., Pestron, K.A., Winkelstein, J.A., Fischbeck, K.H., and Kao, I. (1977). Myasthenia gravis: study of humoral immune mechanisms by passive transfer to mice. N. Eng. J. Med. 296:125–131.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wechsler, A.W., and Olanow, C.W. (IN PRESS). Myasthenia gravis. In Sabiston, D. (Ed.) Christopher Textbook of Surgery.Google Scholar
Wechsler, A.W., and Olanow, C.W. (1980). Surgical therapy of myasthenia gravis. In Wolfe, W. (Ed.) Surg. Clin. N.A. 60:931–945.CrossRefGoogle Scholar