title: Humoral antibodies to acetylcholine receptor in patients with myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Sera from patients with myasthenia gravis (M.G.) were studied by the quantitative micro-scale complement-fixation assay for the presence of humoral antibodies against acetylcholine receptor (AChR). The purified receptor was extracted from the electrogenic tissue of the electric ray, Torpedo californica. A significant difference in the antibody titres was observed between myasthenic and non-myasthenic patients. Out of fifteen patients with myasthenia gravis, at least 12 (80%) had antibodies against AChR. Only one case out of twenty-four controls had an indication of anti-receptor antibodies. In view of observations on the role of AChR as the autoantigen in myasthenia gravis, such antibodies may have significance in producing the neuro-muscular block characteristic of the disease.
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001324:Autoantigens; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000276:immunology; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D000109:Acetylcholine