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Myasthenia Gravis (MG)
Definition - a disease in which the immune system
attacks the body's own tissues ("autoimmune" disease); the attack occurs at the
junction between nerve and muscle and targets the acetylcholine receptor, the
part of a muscle cell that receives signals from a nerve cell; or
muscle-specific kinase, a protein that helps organize acetylcholine receptors
on the muscle cell
Cause - the cause is unclear; researchers suspect viruses or bacteria
might trigger the autoimmune response; the thymus gland also seems sometimes to
play a role in the disease
Onset - can appear at any age; one and a half times more common in women
than in men
Symptoms - fatigue and weakness of voluntary muscles; partial paralysis
of eye movements, double vision, droopy eyelids; weakness and fatigue in neck
and jaws with problems in chewing, swallowing and holding up the head; weakness
can become more generalized
Progression - usually reaches maximum severity within 1-3 years of onset;
weakness requiring a wheelchair is almost unheard of; with proper treatment
people can remain physically active
Inheritance - There appears to be a genetic predisposition to autoimmune
diseases.
