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Acetylcholine Receptor Antibodies in Myasthenia Gravis

1975; Massachusetts Medical Society; Volume: 293; Issue: 15 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1056/nejm197510092931508

1533-4406

Stanley H. Appel, Richard R. Almon, Nelson Levy,

Salivary Gland Disorders and Functions

RECENT studies suggest the involvement of the acetylcholine receptor and the immune system in the pathogenesis of the neuromuscular disorder, myasthenia gravis.1 2 3 4 5 Patrick and Lindstrom1 produced an experimental myasthenic-like syndrome in rabbits by inoculation of acetylcholine receptors purified from electric eel. Using the high affinity cholinergic antagonist, alpha-bungarotoxin, Fambrough et al.2 demonstrated an apparent reduction in the number of available acetylcholine receptors in muscle biopsies from myasthenic patients. Our own laboratory demonstrated the presence in myasthenic patients of a circulating globulin that blocked the binding of 125I-labeled alpha-bungarotoxin to the acetylcholine receptor extracted from denervated rat skeletal muscle.3 The globulin . . .