[Myasthenia gravis. Prototype of an anti-receptor autoaggression disease (author's transl)].

Myasthenia gravis is a classic autoaggression disease in which autoantibodies against the acetylcholine receptors (AChR) of the neuromuscular end-plate have a decisive patho-genetic significance. With sensitive radioimmunoassays anti-AChR antibodies are demonstrable in over 90% of myasthenics and consequently are of great diagnostic significance. The treatment possibilities to date have distinctly improved the prognosis but are either symptomatic or unspecific. More recent knowledge on pathophysiology and pathogenesis and the strategies for development of a specific immunotherapy deducible from this are discussed. X