• Yool Hee Kim, Ha Young Shin, and Seung Min Kim.
• Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Korea.
• Yonsei Med. J. 2019 Jul 1; 60 (7): 633-639.

PurposeMyasthenia gravis (MG) is a lifelong autoimmune disorder that affects neuromuscular transmission. The long-term treatment plan should include immunotherapy. We investigated the long-term safety and efficacy of tacrolimus for the treatment of MG in real-world clinical practice.Materials And MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 160 MG patients treated with tacrolimus from 2005 to 2015. Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) clinical classification, MGFA post-intervention status, myasthenic functional score, and dose of oral prednisolone were investigated.ResultsAdverse events occurred in 68 patients (42.5%), most of which were minor and well-managed. Clinical severity scales improved after administration of tacrolimus, compared to the baseline. Compared to 6 months before administration of tacrolimus, prednisolone dose significantly decreased at 12 months after treatment (2.85±0.92 mg/day, p=0.002), 18 months after treatment (3.36±0.99 mg/day, p=0.001), and 24 months after treatment (3.71±0.93 mg/day, p<0.001).ConclusionTacrolimus may be effective in reducing the severity of MG and may permit a reduction in the steroid dose prescribed to the patients. Adverse events due to tacrolimus treatment were not serious.© Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2019.

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