Lupus anticoagulant in myasthenia gravis associated with IgM gammopathy

Intern Med. 2001 Sep;40(9):952-5. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.40.952.

Abstract

The plasma of a patient with myasthenia gravis had strong lupus anticoagulant activity and his IgM paraprotein displayed non-specific inhibition to coagulation factors IX, XI, XII, prekallikrein, and high molecular weight kininogen. He was placed on prednisolone, which resulted in improvement in his myasthenic symptoms, but the prolongation of APTT and macroglobulinemia remained. Double filtration plasmapheresis successfully decreased the serum IgM level from 1,190 mg/dl to 375 mg/dl and APTT improved from 58 s to 38 s. Myasthenia gravis is frequently associated with other autoimmune diseases, but the association with lupus anticoagulant and IgM gammopathy is rare.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood*
  • Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor / blood*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myasthenia Gravis / immunology*
  • Myasthenia Gravis / pathology
  • Myasthenia Gravis / therapy*
  • Plasmapheresis
  • Skin / pathology
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor