Myasthenia gravis: ALG treatment of seriously ill patients

Abstract

The authors review the theoretical basis of human antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) and human antihymocyte globulin (ATG) treatment in myasthenia gravis. Ten selected seriously ill myasthenic patients were treated with ALG and/or ATG. Three of the patients improved significantly and a further four moderately, whereas the condition of three patients did not change. ALG therapy is effective in the suppression of cellular immune mechanism, therefore it can be assumed that it exerts its effect in myasthenia gravis by inhibiting thymus hormone stimulation.