2023
Plasmapheresis Versus Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Patients With Autoimmune Neuromuscular and Neuro-immunological Conditions
Zubair A, Rethana M, Ma A, McAlpine L, Abulaban A, Munro B, Patwa H, Nowak R, Roy B. Plasmapheresis Versus Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Patients With Autoimmune Neuromuscular and Neuro-immunological Conditions. Journal Of Clinical Neuromuscular Disease 2023, 25: 11-17. PMID: 37611265, DOI: 10.1097/cnd.0000000000000439.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNeuro-immunological diseaseIntravenous immunoglobulinAutoimmune neurological disordersAutoimmune neuromuscular disorderAdult patientsElderly patientsNeurological disordersNeuromuscular disordersChronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathyNational Inpatient Sample databaseNational Inpatient Sample datasetInflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathySafe therapeutic choiceRetrospective chart reviewAppropriate clinical settingSide effect profileDemyelinating polyradiculoneuropathyIVIG useChart reviewYounger patientsMyasthenia gravisEffect profileMedical historyPrimary diagnosisTherapeutic choice
2022
Heterogeneity of Acetylcholine Receptor Autoantibody–Mediated Complement Activity in Patients With Myasthenia Gravis
Obaid AH, Zografou C, Vadysirisack DD, Munro-Sheldon B, Fichtner ML, Roy B, Philbrick WM, Bennett JL, Nowak RJ, O'Connor KC. Heterogeneity of Acetylcholine Receptor Autoantibody–Mediated Complement Activity in Patients With Myasthenia Gravis. Neurology Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation 2022, 9: e1169. PMID: 35473886, PMCID: PMC9128035, DOI: 10.1212/nxi.0000000000001169.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAChR autoantibodiesMyasthenia gravisDisease burdenComplement activityAcetylcholine receptor autoantibodiesAChR-MG patientsComplement inhibitor therapyLower autoantibody levelsClinical disease scoresSubset of patientsHealthy donor samplesCell-based assaysMost patient samplesMembrane attack complex formationModest positive associationMG subtypesAutoantibody levelsAutoantibody titersComplement membrane attack complex formationMG patientsInhibitor therapyReceptor autoantibodiesHD groupTherapeutic responseMAC formation
2021
Influenza vaccination in autoimmune neuromuscular diseases: A survey of current practices and perceptions
Roy B, Litchman T, Torabi T, Nowak RJ. Influenza vaccination in autoimmune neuromuscular diseases: A survey of current practices and perceptions. Muscle & Nerve 2021, 63: 918-923. PMID: 33711167, DOI: 10.1002/mus.27224.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsChronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathyGuillain-Barré syndromeMyasthenia gravisInfluenza vaccinationInfluenza vaccineInflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathyAutoimmune neuromuscular diseaseAutoimmune neuromuscular disorderHistory of exacerbationsProfessional society recommendationsDemyelinating polyneuropathyGBS patientsVaccine recommendationsSociety recommendationsNeurology practitionersInternet-based surveyPatientsNeuromuscular diseaseUnmet needNeuromuscular disordersNeurologistsPractice settingsVaccinationVaccineRecommendation practices
2020
Clinical Effects of the Self-administered Subcutaneous Complement Inhibitor Zilucoplan in Patients With Moderate to Severe Generalized Myasthenia Gravis
Howard JF, Nowak RJ, Wolfe GI, Freimer ML, Vu TH, Hinton JL, Benatar M, Duda PW, MacDougall JE, Farzaneh-Far R, Kaminski HJ, Barohn R, Dimachkie M, Pasnoor M, Farmakidis C, Liu T, Colgan S, Benatar M, Bertorini T, Pillai R, Henegar R, Bromberg M, Gibson S, Janecki T, Freimer M, Elsheikh B, Matisak P, Genge A, Guidon A, David W, Habib A, Mathew V, Mozaffar T, Hinton J, Hewitt W, Barnett D, Sullivan P, Ho D, Howard J, Traub R, Chopra M, Kaminski H, Aly R, Bayat E, Abu-Rub M, Khan S, Lange D, Holzberg S, Khatri B, Lindman E, Olapo T, Sershon L, Lisak R, Bernitsas E, Jia K, Malik R, Lewis-Collins T, Nicolle M, Nowak R, Sharma A, Roy B, Nye J, Pulley M, Berger A, Shabbir Y, Sachdev A, Patterson K, Siddiqi Z, Sivak M, Bratton J, Small G, Kohli A, Fetter M, Vu T, Lam L, Harvey B, Wolfe G, Silvestri N, Patrick K, Zakalik K, Duda P, MacDougall J, Farzaneh-Far R, Pontius A, Hoarty M. Clinical Effects of the Self-administered Subcutaneous Complement Inhibitor Zilucoplan in Patients With Moderate to Severe Generalized Myasthenia Gravis. JAMA Neurology 2020, 77: 582-592. PMID: 32065623, PMCID: PMC7042797, DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.5125.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGeneralized myasthenia gravisSecondary end pointsDaily living scoreTolerability profileEnd pointLiving scoreMyasthenia gravisClinical effectsPlacebo-controlled phase 2 clinical trialKey secondary efficacy end pointsKey secondary end pointSecondary efficacy end pointsSevere Generalized Myasthenia GravisQuantitative Myasthenia Gravis ScorePhase 2 clinical trialAcetylcholine receptor autoantibodiesEfficacy end pointMyasthenia gravis scoreMG activityComplement component 5Disease-specific variablesQuality of lifeComplete complement inhibitionBroader populationDaily SCExploring outcomes and characteristics of myasthenia gravis: Rationale, aims and design of registry – The EXPLORE-MG registry
Anil R, Kumar A, Alaparthi S, Sharma A, Nye JL, Roy B, O'Connor KC, Nowak RJ. Exploring outcomes and characteristics of myasthenia gravis: Rationale, aims and design of registry – The EXPLORE-MG registry. Journal Of The Neurological Sciences 2020, 414: 116830. PMID: 32388060, DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.116830.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMyasthenia gravisMG patientsContemporary patient cohortKey clinical featuresMuscle-specific kinaseMG clinicClinical featuresGeneralized diseaseOutcomes RegistryPatient cohortPatient outcomesTreatment responsivenessTreatment outcomesTreatment strategiesRegistry dataEpidemiological dataInterim analysisData registryOcular diseasesPatientsCommon data elementsAcetylcholine receptorsRegistryPatient careDiseaseDifferential response to rituximab in anti-AChR and anti-MuSK positive myasthenia gravis patients: a single-center retrospective study
Litchman T, Roy B, Kumar A, Sharma A, Njike V, Nowak RJ. Differential response to rituximab in anti-AChR and anti-MuSK positive myasthenia gravis patients: a single-center retrospective study. Journal Of The Neurological Sciences 2020, 411: 116690. PMID: 32028072, DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.116690.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMyasthenia gravisMGFA classRetrospective studyPositive myasthenia gravis patientsSingle-center retrospective studyManagement of MGAcetylcholine receptor autoantibodiesRefractory myasthenia gravisSymptom-free stateB-cell depletionMyasthenia gravis patientsClinical remissionClinical improvementDurable responsesMG patientsGravis patientsReceptor autoantibodiesMore hospitalizationsClinical symptomsExamination findingsCell depletionTreatment responsePatientsRituximabB cells