Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39737848›Full record

ArticleAnnals of clinical and translational neurology2025

Refractory myasthenia gravis treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Benjamin Beland, Jan Storek, Liam Quartermain, Christopher Hahn, C Elizabeth Pringle, Pierre R Bourque, Michael Kennah, Natasha Kekre, Christopher Bredeson, David Allan and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of clinical and translational neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
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

13 authors.

Benjamin Beland *Division of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-9574-1412
Jan Storek *Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Liam QuartermainTransplant and Cell Therapy Program, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Christopher HahnDivision of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
C Elizabeth PringleDivision of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Pierre R BourqueDivision of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Michael KennahTransplant and Cell Therapy Program, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Natasha KekreTransplant and Cell Therapy Program, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Christopher BredesonTransplant and Cell Therapy Program, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
David AllanTransplant and Cell Therapy Program, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Kareem JamaniDivision of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Christopher WhiteDivision of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Harold AtkinsTransplant and Cell Therapy Program, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesPatients with refractory myasthenia gravis (MG) have few treatment options. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been used to treat immune diseases; however, its use in the treatment of MG is not broadly considered. Our objective is to report on the efficacy and safety of HSCT in refractory MG.

methodsTwenty-one patients who underwent HSCT for MG were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had severe MG refractory to multiple therapies. Stem cells were mobilized with cyclophosphamide and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. The grafts were depleted of immune cells by selecting CD34+ cells. HSCT conditioning consisted of high-dose cytoreductive therapy and anti-thymocyte globulin. The primary efficacy outcome was achieving clinically stable remission or minimal manifestations without treatment and remaining as such until most recent follow-up.

resultsThe median time from MG diagnosis to HSCT was 4.0 years. The primary outcome was reached in 16 of 18 evaluable patients (89%) at a median of 1.7 years and maintained with a median follow-up of 6.7 years (range 1.0-21.9 years). Three patients were not evaluable for the primary outcome: one due to confounding illness and two died within 12 months of transplant. The transplant-related mortality at 100 days was 9.5%. Two late deaths occurred, with uncertain relation to the HSCT.

interpretationAfter HSCT for refractory MG, most patients achieved sustained disease remission. However, HSCT-related mortality in medically complex MG patients may be high. Prospective studies investigating the efficacy and safety of HSCT in the treatment of refractory MG are warranted.

Indexed as

Hematopoietic Stem Cell TransplantationMyasthenia GravisAdolescentAdultAgedFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTransplantation, AutologousTreatment OutcomeYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID39737848
PMCPMC11752101

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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.