Summary Summary Short summary of a recent publication, written by scientific experts. Published: 17 Apr 2023

Complement components increased in patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive myasthenia gravis

  • A case-control study analyzed concentrations of the complement fragments C3a, C5a, and sC5b9 in patients with acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) antibody-positive myasthenia gravis (MG), seronegative MG, and healthy controls.
  • The researchers describe substantially increased levels of the complement components in treatment-naive patients with anti-AChR-positive MG, with similar findings seen in a validation cohort of patients on standard immunosuppressive therapy. The fragments were not elevated in patients with anti-MuSK-positive or seronegative MG, however.
  • The team concludes that inhibition of complement should be evaluated as a possible therapeutic target for AChR-positive MG.