Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34732168›Full record

ArticleBMC neurology2021

Clinical features, treatment and prognosis of MuSK antibody-associated myasthenia gravis in Northwest China: a single-centre retrospective cohort study.

Sijia Zhao, Kai Zhang, Kaixi Ren, Jiarui Lu, Chao Ma, Cong Zhao, Zhuyi Li, Jun Guo

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC neurology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
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

12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. Telitacicept as a New Therapeutic Avenue for Generalized Myasthenia Gravis and Thymoma-Associated Myasthenia Gravis.Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology · 2026
    Article
  5. Long-term efficacy and safety of tacrolimus in anti-MuSK antibody-positive myasthenia gravis: a retrospective single-center cohort study.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
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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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Sijia Zhao *Department of Neurology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi Province, China.
Kai Zhang *Department of Intensive Care Unit, Xi'an No.3 Hospital, Xi'an, 710018, Shaanxi Province, China.
Kaixi Ren *Department of Neurology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi Province, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2998-4974
Jiarui LuDepartment of Neurology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi Province, China.
Chao MaDepartment of Cardiology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi Province, China.
Cong ZhaoDepartment of Neurology, Air Force Medical Center of PLA, Beijing, 100142, China.
Zhuyi LiDepartment of Neurology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi Province, China. lizhuyi62@163.com.
Jun GuoDepartment of Neurology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi Province, China. guojun_81@163.com.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8053-881X
Air Force Medical University · CNTang Du Hospital · CNAir Force General Hospital PLA · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeTo summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with muscle-specific kinase antibody-associated myasthenia gravis (MuSK-MG) and to evaluate the therapeutic responses to different treatment regimes.

methodsEighteen MuSK-MG patients admitted in our department between October 2017 and September 2020 were included. Clinical parameters were collected and the responses to different immunosuppressive drugs were assessed by MGFA Postintervention Status (MGFA-PIS). Meanwhile, the correlation between QMG scores and MuSK antibody titers were analyzed and MuSK antibody (MuSK-ab) titers were compared before and after therapy based on different immunosuppressive treatment regimes.

resultsFemale predominance (ratio of females to males, 15:3) was evident in the study population, with the average onset age of (40.28 ± 18.57) years and the median disease course of 30.50 months (interquartile range [IQR], 17.50-44.75 months). Ocular manifestation was the most common onset symptom (11/18; 61.11%), and mild symmetrical ptosis was most frequent. Bulbar symptoms had the highest incidence of 88.89% over the entire disease course. Abnormal responses to RNS test were recorded most frequently on the musculus deltoideus (83.33%). All patients were treated with prednisone (Pred) alone or plus azathioprine (AZA), tacrolimus (TAC) or low-dose rituximab (RTX), and 17 (94.44%) of them achieved a favorable outcome defined as minimal manifestation (MM) or better. In general, an obvious positive correlation between QMG score and MuSK-ab titer (r = 0.710, P < 0.001) were found in all patients. A more significant reduction of MuSK-ab titers was observed in patients receiving TAC or RTX plus Pred than those receiving AZA plus Pred.

conclusionsThe prominent clinical manifestations of ocular and bulbar muscles involvements, together with abnormal RNS response mostly recorded on the musculus deltoideus and better efficacy associated with TAC or low-dose RTX plus Pred, provide a more exhaustive picture of MuSK-MG, particularly in Northwest China.

Indexed as

AutoantibodiesMyasthenia GravisAdultFatty Acids, MonounsaturatedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisReceptor Protein-Tyrosine KinasesReceptors, CholinergicRetrospective StudiesAutoantibodiesFatty Acids, MonounsaturatedMUSK protein, humanReceptor Protein-Tyrosine KinasesReceptors, CholinergicAzathioprineMuscle-specific kinaseMyasthenia gravisRituximabTacrolimus

Identifiers

PMID34732168
PMCPMC8567678
OpenAlexW3208262959

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.