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Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases
Published in: Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 1/2014

Open Access 01-12-2014 | Letter to the Editor

Sweet taste loss in myasthenia gravis: more than a coincidence?

Authors: Joelle N Chabwine, Muriel V Tschirren, Anastasia Zekeridou, Basile N Landis, Thierry Kuntzer

Published in: Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases | Issue 1/2014

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Abstract

Sweet dysgeusia, a rare taste disorder, may be encountered in severe anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChRAb)-myasthenia gravis (MG). A 42 year-old man reported progressive loss of sweet taste evolving for almost 10 weeks, revealing an AChRAb-positive MG with thymoma. Improvement of sweet perception paralleled reduction of the MG composite score during the 15 months follow up period, with immunosuppressive and surgical treatments. We suggest that sweet dysgeusia is a non-motor manifestation of MG that may result from a thymoma-dependent autoimmune mechanism targeting gustducin-positive G-protein-coupled taste receptor cells, in line with recent data from MRL/MpJ-Faslpr/ (MRL/lpr) transgenic mice with autoimmune disease.
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Metadata
Title
Sweet taste loss in myasthenia gravis: more than a coincidence?
Authors
Joelle N Chabwine
Muriel V Tschirren
Anastasia Zekeridou
Basile N Landis
Thierry Kuntzer
Publication date
01-12-2014
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases / Issue 1/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1750-1172
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1750-1172-9-50

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