Generalised Myasthenia Gravis


What causes gMG?


Generalized Myasthenia Gravis (gMG) is a rare disorder caused by the immune system attacking the body's own healthy cells. The antibodies in people with gMG attack the area called the neuromuscular junction where the nerves trigger the muscles to work and interrupt the signals between nerves and muscles, which causes muscle weakness. 

People who do not respond to available treatments continue to experience significant muscle weakness that makes it difficult to swallow, talk, or engage in simple daily activities like brushing their hair. 

Although there is no cure for gMG, management of this disorder has improved over the past 30 years, leading to significantly fewer deaths and better quality of life. 
graphic explaining neorological function and how myasthenia gravis affects it

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Laboratory Test

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Anti–acetylcholine receptor antibody The anti–acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody (Ab) test is reliable for diagnosing autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG). It is highly specific (as high as 100%, according to Padua et al).  [ 4 ]  Results are positive in as many as 90% of patients who have generalized MG but in only 50-70% of those who have only ocular MG; thus false negatives are common in cases of purely ocular MG. False-positive anti-AChR Ab test results have been reported in cases of thymoma without MG and in patients with  Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome , small cell lung cancer, or rheumatoid arthritis treated with penicillamine, as well as in 1-3% of the population older than 70 years. Tindall reported AChR Ab results and mean Ab titers in a group of patients with MG (see the Table below).  [ 25 ]  Table. Prevalence and Titers of Antibody to Acetylcholine Receptor in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis  (Open Table in a new window) Os...
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