Skip to content 
Causes
Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune disorder, therefore, it is caused as a result of a defect in the immune system. It can be acquired from the environment due to harmful radiations destroying the genetic makeup. The defective genes then encode for wrong amino acids which then form antibodies that target the receptors of the neuromuscular junction. As the receptors are blocked, this does not let the muscles contract properly.
There is repeated destruction of the muscle’s motor endplate that receives the signals for impulse transmission, leading to permanent loss of function of that muscle.
Moreover, people diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis have been seen to be affected with a thymoma. Thymoma is the cancerous form of the thymus gland. This gland is present inside the neck and its function is the production of antibodies for the protection of the body. This gland involutes as a child grow. However, this gland can also turn cancerous in patients suffering from Myasthenia Gravis, it is therefore always evaluated after the diagnosis has been made through a Chest X-ray or an MRI. A correlation of thymoma and Myasthenia Gravis is being studied and researched, with hopes of finding a common ground between the two for a better understanding of it.
