Non-Motor Symptoms in Myasthenia Gravis: Attributed to T-Cell Clones from Thymoma
April 2013
in “
PubMed
”
TLDR Abnormal T-cells from thymomas cause non-motor symptoms in some myasthenia gravis patients.
This review explored the non-motor symptoms in patients with autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG), particularly those with thymomas. It was found that approximately 25% of these patients experienced at least one non-motor symptom, which could range from psychiatric issues like depression and anxiety to autoimmune disorders such as alopecia areata. The study suggested that these symptoms were linked to abnormal T-cell clones from thymomas, with CD8+ T-cell cytotoxicity affecting hematopoietic precursor cells and hair follicles. Additionally, autoantibodies to voltage-gated potassium channels were implicated in various neurological and cardiac disorders. The non-motor symptoms significantly impacted patients' quality of life and could lead to severe conditions.