Genetic factors in myasthenia gravis: a family study
Kerzin-Storrar, L.; Metcalfe, R.A.; Dyer, P.A.; Kowalska, G.; Ferguson, I.; Harris, R.
Neurology 38(1): 38-42
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-3878 PMID: 3336461 Document Number: 323252
We studied forty-four patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and their families. Thirty percent of patients had a confirmed family history of autoimmune disease; in one case this was MG. In all the families with autoimmune disease, the affected relatives were related to the patients through the maternal line. HLA-B8 and DR3 were increased in patients due to the high incidence of these antigens in female, nonthymoma patients with onset before 40 years. HLA-B5 was increased in patients with older onset. The haplotype A1-B8-DR3 was not found to be increased given the presence of B8 or DR3.