Genetic aspects in myasthenia gravis. A family study of 264 Finnish patients. 1977

R Pirskanen

The prevalence of myasthenia gravis (MG) in Finland was 264 patients per 4.7 mil. inhabitants or 0.006 per cent. Of these 264 patients 19 (17 females and 2 males) were familial cases from eight families. MG occurred in 11 siblings, in two mothers and their child, and in six cousins. MG was not found in three or more successive generations. The familial MG resembled the non-familial disease. No concordance of MG among five sets of twins was found. The birth localities of gradparents seemed to have a slight tendency for accumulation, but no definite clusters were formed. Consanguinity between parents was found in seven of 192 families. An increased frequency of collagen or thyroid diseases was found both in patients and parents, but they were not specially accumulated to the relatives of familial myasthenics. Neither autosomal nor sex-linked, dominant or recessive, nor some other uniform mode of inheritance in MG could be confirmed. Some genetical predisposition to MG seems to exist, but it may be common to autoimmunity as a whole.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009157 Myasthenia Gravis A disorder of neuromuscular transmission characterized by fatigable weakness of cranial and skeletal muscles with elevated titers of ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTORS or muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK) autoantibodies. Clinical manifestations may include ocular muscle weakness (fluctuating, asymmetric, external ophthalmoplegia; diplopia; ptosis; and weakness of eye closure) and extraocular fatigable weakness of facial, bulbar, respiratory, and proximal limb muscles. The disease may remain limited to the ocular muscles (ocular myasthenia). THYMOMA is commonly associated with this condition. Anti-MuSK Myasthenia Gravis,MuSK MG,MuSK Myasthenia Gravis,Muscle-Specific Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Myasthenia Gravis,Muscle-Specific Tyrosine Kinase Antibody Positive Myasthenia Gravis,Myasthenia Gravis, Generalized,Myasthenia Gravis, Ocular,Anti MuSK Myasthenia Gravis,Generalized Myasthenia Gravis,Muscle Specific Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Myasthenia Gravis,Muscle Specific Tyrosine Kinase Antibody Positive Myasthenia Gravis,Myasthenia Gravis, Anti-MuSK,Myasthenia Gravis, MuSK,Ocular Myasthenia Gravis
D010375 Pedigree The record of descent or ancestry, particularly of a particular condition or trait, indicating individual family members, their relationships, and their status with respect to the trait or condition. Family Tree,Genealogical Tree,Genealogic Tree,Genetic Identity,Identity, Genetic,Family Trees,Genealogic Trees,Genealogical Trees,Genetic Identities,Identities, Genetic,Tree, Family,Tree, Genealogic,Tree, Genealogical,Trees, Family,Trees, Genealogic,Trees, Genealogical
D003095 Collagen Diseases Historically, a heterogeneous group of acute and chronic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, progressive systemic sclerosis, dermatomyositis, etc. This classification was based on the notion that "collagen" was equivalent to "connective tissue", but with the present recognition of the different types of collagen and the aggregates derived from them as distinct entities, the term "collagen diseases" now pertains exclusively to those inherited conditions in which the primary defect is at the gene level and affects collagen biosynthesis, post-translational modification, or extracellular processing directly. (From Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 19th ed, p1494) Collagen Disease,Disease, Collagen,Diseases, Collagen
D003241 Consanguinity The magnitude of INBREEDING in humans. Inbreeding, Human,Consanguineous Marriage,Consanguinous Mating,Consanguineous Marriages,Consanguinities,Consanguinous Matings,Human Inbreeding,Human Inbreedings,Inbreedings, Human,Marriage, Consanguineous,Marriages, Consanguineous,Mating, Consanguinous,Matings, Consanguinous
D004200 Diseases in Twins Disorders affecting TWINS, one or both, at any age. Diseases in Twin,Twin, Diseases in,Twins, Diseases in,in Twin, Diseases,in Twins, Diseases
D004700 Endocrine System Diseases Pathological processes of the ENDOCRINE GLANDS, and diseases resulting from abnormal level of available HORMONES. Endocrine Diseases,Diseases of Endocrine System,Disease, Endocrine,Disease, Endocrine System,Diseases, Endocrine,Diseases, Endocrine System,Endocrine Disease,Endocrine System Disease,System Disease, Endocrine,System Diseases, Endocrine
D005260 Female Females
D005387 Finland A country in northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia. The capital is Helsinki. Aland Islands,Ă…land Islands

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