Current understanding of the rational diagnostics and treatment of acquired myasthenia gravis. Part 2: treatment

Abstract

Due to the fact that acquired myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease, so rational treatment of these patients includes the symptomatic therapy (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, potassium supplements, potassiumsaving diuretics), short-term immunotherapy (intravenous immunoglobulin, methods of extracorporeal hemocorrection), longterm immunotherapy (glucocorticosteroids, cytotoxic agents, targeted therapies), thymectomy, as well as a number of new promising therapeutic agents. The choice of effective therapy depends on identifying the clinical forms of myasthenia gravis and a complete analysis of autoimmune mechanisms underlying the disease because of similar clinical forms of myasthenia gravis may respond to similar therapies.

Keywords

• myasthenia gravis
• seronegative form of myasthenia gravis
• antibodies to acetylcholine receptors
• plasma exchange
• immunosuppression
• treatment algorithm
• antibodies to antigens of skeletal muscles