Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33148186›Full record

ArticleBMC neurology2020

Myasthenia gravis exacerbation after melatonin administration: case series from a tertiary referral centre.

Velina Nedkova-Hristova, Valentina Vélez-Santamaría, Carlos Casasnovas

Open access · goldAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in BMC neurology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Velina Nedkova-HristovaNeuromuscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurology, Bellvitge University Hospital -IDIBELL, Carrer de la Feixa Llarga, s/n, 08907, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
Valentina Vélez-SantamaríaNeuromuscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurology, Bellvitge University Hospital -IDIBELL, Carrer de la Feixa Llarga, s/n, 08907, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
Carlos CasasnovasNeuromuscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurology, Bellvitge University Hospital -IDIBELL, Carrer de la Feixa Llarga, s/n, 08907, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. carloscasasnovas@bellvitgehospital.cat.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1170-2676
Bellvitge University Hospital · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMyasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease mediated by antibodies against proteins associated with the postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction. Several drugs may trigger an exacerbation of the disease. Melatonin supplements are widely used for the treatment of insomnia as they are well tolerated with few side effects. The role of melatonin in the immune system and its effects in autoimmune disorders remain uncertain. CASE PRESENTATION: We identified three patients in our referral centre from 2014 to 2019 who presented a worsening within days or weeks of starting melatonin. Two of them stopped the treatment without clinical improvement in the next week. Increasing dose of corticosteroids did not lead to clinical improvement in the next month and one of the patients was finally administered intravenous immunoglobulins.

conclusionMelatonin may trigger exacerbations of myasthenia gravis, probably due to an upregulation of the adaptive immune system and an interaction with the corticosteroids and other immunosuppressant treatments. We consider that melatonin should be administered with caution in these patients.

Indexed as

Adrenal Cortex HormonesAdultAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansImmunoglobulins, IntravenousMaleMelatoninMiddle AgedMyasthenia GravisTertiary Care CentersAdrenal Cortex HormonesImmunoglobulins, IntravenousMelatoninCase reportCorticosteroidImmunosuppressantMelatoninMyasthenia gravis

Identifiers

PMID33148186
PMCPMC7640643
OpenAlexW3096686532

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.