@phdthesis{oai:nagasaki-u.repo.nii.ac.jp:00004088,
 author = {中田, るか},
 month = {Jun},
 note = {Background and purpose: The differences in the characteristics of thymus histology, coexisting autoimmune diseases and related autoantibodies between anti-muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK)-antibody (Ab)-positive myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, and anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-Ab-positive MG patients are not clearly defined. Methods: The types of thymus histology, coexisting autoimmune diseases and associated Abs in 83 MuSK-Ab-positive patients nationwide were investigated and were compared with those in AChR-Ab-positive patients followed at our institute (n = 83). As for the autoantibodies associated with thymoma, titin Abs were measured. Results: Thymoma was not present in any of the MuSK-Ab-positive patients but presented in 21 patients (25.3%) amongst the AChR-Ab-positive patients. Titin Abs were absent in MuSK-Ab-positive patients but positive in 25 (30.1%) of the AChR-Ab-positive patients. Concomitant autoimmune diseases were present in eight MuSK-Ab-positive patients (9.6%) amongst whom Hashimoto's thyroiditis and rheumatoid arthritis predominated, whereas 22 AChR-Ab-positive patients (26.5%) had one or more concomitant autoimmune diseases of which Graves' disease predominated. Conclusions: Differences in frequency of thymoma and thymic hyperplasia, coexisting autoimmune diseases and autoantibody positivity between MuSK-Ab-positive and AChR-Ab-positive MG were indicated, suggesting that, in contrast with AChR-Ab-positive MG, thymus does not seem to be involved in the pathogenic mechanisms of MuSK-Ab-positive MG., 長崎大学学位論文 学位記番号:博(医歯薬)甲第604号 学位授与年月日:平成25年6月5日, Author： Nakata Ruka , Motomura Masakatsu , Masuda Tomoko , Shiraishi Hirokazu , Tokuda Masahiro , Fukuda Taku , Ando Takao ,Yoshimura Toshiro , Tsujihata Mitsuhiro , Kawakami Atsushi, Citation: European Journal of Neurology, 20(9), pp.1272-1276; 2013, Nagasaki University (長崎大学), 博士(医学) (2013-06-05)},
 school = {Nagasaki University (長崎大学)},
 title = {Thymus histology and concomitant autoimmune diseases in Japanese patients with MuSK-　antibody-　positive myasthenia gravis},
 year = {2013}
}