Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39088160›Full record

ArticleIrish journal of medical science2024

Clinical and laboratory remission with rituximab in anti-MuSK-positive myasthenia gravis.

Berin Inan, Irem Gul Orhan, Can Ebru Bekircan-Kurt, Sevim Erdem-Ozdamar, Ersin Tan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Irish journal of medical science, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. The role and mechanism of IL‑35 in myasthenia gravis (Review).International journal of molecular medicine · 2026
    Review
  4. Review
  5. 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

5 authors.

Berin InanDepartment of Neurology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2758-0207
Irem Gul OrhanDepartment of Neurology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4129-8806
Can Ebru Bekircan-KurtDepartment of Neurology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. canebru@yahoo.co.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2355-6979
Sevim Erdem-OzdamarDepartment of Neurology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9348-6457
Ersin TanDepartment of Neurology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8418-2961

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIncreasing data are available on the use and efficacy of rituximab (RTX) in patients with anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK)-positive myasthenia gravis (MG), especially those steroid-dependent or unresponsive to traditional immunotherapies.

aimsWe aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and treatment responses of adult patients with generalized anti-MuSK-positive MG treated with RTX.

methodsWe retrospectively recruited 16 patients who were on RTX, between January 2010 and September 2023. RTX was given 1000 mg/day intravenously twice, two weeks apart. Maintenance treatment was administered at intervals of 3-6 months based on clinical evaluation. The outcome was assessed by Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) and Myasthenia Gravis Status and Treatment Intensity (MGSTI) scores. Additionally, anti-MuSK antibody levels were retested after treatment in all patients except one.

resultsTwelve patients were female. The mean age at disease onset was 35.3 ± 17.3 years. The median duration between disease onset and RTX administration was 2.4 years (min-max: 0.5-36.5 years). The worst MGFA class before RTX was between IIIb-V. After RTX treatment, 81.3% of patients achieved MGFA minimal manifestations or better and MGSTI level 1 or better. Anti-MuSK antibodies became negative in 12 patients, while they remained positive in three. The changes in antibody levels seemed associated with clinical outcomes.

conclusionsRTX is an effective treatment in anti-MuSK-positive MG. Furthermore, our results support the inhibition of antibody production by RTX and we recommend monitoring anti-MuSK antibody titers to follow disease progression and treatment response.

Indexed as

Myasthenia GravisReceptor Protein-Tyrosine KinasesReceptors, CholinergicRituximabAdultAutoantibodiesFemaleHumansImmunologic FactorsMaleMiddle AgedRemission InductionRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultAutoantibodiesImmunologic FactorsMUSK protein, humanReceptor Protein-Tyrosine KinasesReceptors, CholinergicRituximabMonitoring antibody levelMuscle-specific tyrosine kinaseMyasthenia gravisRituximab

Identifiers

PMID39088160
PMCPMC11666748

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Registered trials

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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.