[Auto-immune diseases of the skeletal muscle-system. Immune-pathogenetic mechanisms in myasthenia gravis and polymyositis (author's transl)].

Intensive clinical as well as experimental research over the past decade in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis suggest the imporatance of involved immunological reactions. The thymus as well as the muscle endplates appeare to be possible target organs of autoaggressive reactions, although the real trigger mechanismus of autoimmune reactivity are not yet understood. Different pathogenetic hypothesis for myasthenia gravis are discussed. Regarding the pathogenesis of polymyositis more direct evidence for the possible involvement of viruses are offered by electronmicroscopy. Beside clinical and neurological findings, immunoserological data provide the most important facts for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of myasthenia gravis and polymyositis.