Biomaterial Database

Myasthenia gravis: An embryologic and phylogenetic perspective. 1976

J Brumlik

Myasthenia gravis is a rare disease with unique clinical features. These include (1) progressive fatigue on exertion, most evident clinically in the muscles of the head and neck (2) a definite relationship of the disease to the thyroid, parathyroid and thymus glands. A hypothesis is advanced with correlates these facts on the basis of a common embryologic origin of these glands and the branchial arch muscles. A corollary is that the muscles of the head and neck differ from the somatic musculature in some as-yet-unidentified manner, for example, pharmacologically. A plea is made for comparative studies between the two.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009132	Muscles	Contractile tissue that produces movement in animals.	Muscle Tissue,Muscle,Muscle Tissues,Tissue, Muscle,Tissues, Muscle
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
D010280	Parathyroid Glands	Two pairs of small oval-shaped glands located in the front and the base of the NECK and adjacent to the two lobes of THYROID GLAND. They secrete PARATHYROID HORMONE that regulates the balance of CALCIUM; PHOSPHORUS; and MAGNESIUM in the body.	Gland, Parathyroid,Glands, Parathyroid,Parathyroid Gland
D010802	Phylogeny	The relationships of groups of organisms as reflected by their genetic makeup.	Community Phylogenetics,Molecular Phylogenetics,Phylogenetic Analyses,Phylogenetic Analysis,Phylogenetic Clustering,Phylogenetic Comparative Analysis,Phylogenetic Comparative Methods,Phylogenetic Distance,Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares,Phylogenetic Groups,Phylogenetic Incongruence,Phylogenetic Inference,Phylogenetic Networks,Phylogenetic Reconstruction,Phylogenetic Relatedness,Phylogenetic Relationships,Phylogenetic Signal,Phylogenetic Structure,Phylogenetic Tree,Phylogenetic Trees,Phylogenomics,Analyse, Phylogenetic,Analysis, Phylogenetic,Analysis, Phylogenetic Comparative,Clustering, Phylogenetic,Community Phylogenetic,Comparative Analysis, Phylogenetic,Comparative Method, Phylogenetic,Distance, Phylogenetic,Group, Phylogenetic,Incongruence, Phylogenetic,Inference, Phylogenetic,Method, Phylogenetic Comparative,Molecular Phylogenetic,Network, Phylogenetic,Phylogenetic Analyse,Phylogenetic Clusterings,Phylogenetic Comparative Analyses,Phylogenetic Comparative Method,Phylogenetic Distances,Phylogenetic Group,Phylogenetic Incongruences,Phylogenetic Inferences,Phylogenetic Network,Phylogenetic Reconstructions,Phylogenetic Relatednesses,Phylogenetic Relationship,Phylogenetic Signals,Phylogenetic Structures,Phylogenetic, Community,Phylogenetic, Molecular,Phylogenies,Phylogenomic,Reconstruction, Phylogenetic,Relatedness, Phylogenetic,Relationship, Phylogenetic,Signal, Phylogenetic,Structure, Phylogenetic,Tree, Phylogenetic
D001934	Branchial Region	A region, of SOMITE development period, that contains a number of paired arches, each with a mesodermal core lined by ectoderm and endoderm on the two sides. In lower aquatic vertebrates, branchial arches develop into GILLS. In higher vertebrates, the arches forms outpouchings and develop into structures of the head and neck. Separating the arches are the branchial clefts or grooves.	Branchial Arches,Branchial Clefts,Pharyngeal Arches,Visceral Arches,Branchial Arch,Branchial Grooves,Pharyngeal Arch,Pharyngeal Clefts,Pharyngeal Grooves,Visceral Arch,Arch, Branchial,Arch, Pharyngeal,Arch, Visceral,Arches, Branchial,Arches, Pharyngeal,Arches, Visceral,Archs, Pharyngeal,Branchial Cleft,Branchial Groove,Branchial Regions,Cleft, Branchial,Cleft, Pharyngeal,Clefts, Branchial,Clefts, Pharyngeal,Groove, Branchial,Groove, Pharyngeal,Grooves, Branchial,Grooves, Pharyngeal,Pharyngeal Archs,Pharyngeal Cleft,Pharyngeal Groove,Region, Branchial,Regions, Branchial
D005075	Biological Evolution	The process of cumulative change over successive generations through which organisms acquire their distinguishing morphological and physiological characteristics.	Evolution, Biological
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013945	Thymoma	A neoplasm originating from thymic tissue, usually benign, and frequently encapsulated. Although it is occasionally invasive, metastases are extremely rare. It consists of any type of thymic epithelial cell as well as lymphocytes that are usually abundant. Malignant lymphomas that involve the thymus, e.g., lymphosarcoma, Hodgkin's disease (previously termed granulomatous thymoma), should not be regarded as thymoma. (From Stedman, 25th ed)	Carcinoma, Thymic,Carcinomas, Thymic,Thymic Carcinoma,Thymic Carcinomas,Thymomas
D013950	Thymus Gland	A single, unpaired primary lymphoid organ situated in the MEDIASTINUM, extending superiorly into the neck to the lower edge of the THYROID GLAND and inferiorly to the fourth costal cartilage. It is necessary for normal development of immunologic function early in life. By puberty, it begins to involute and much of the tissue is replaced by fat.	Thymus,Gland, Thymus,Glands, Thymus,Thymus Glands