title: Association of HLA-B8, DRw3, and anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies in myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Twenty-eight patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), five with and 23 without thymoma, and 47 normal controls were typed for serologically defined HLA-A, B, C, and DRw antigens. Sera from all patients were titered for antibodies to acetylcholine receptors (AChR). The frequency of HLA-B8 and DRw3 in the non-thymoma MG patients was significantly higher than in the normal population. Most of the non-thymoma patients with AChR titers higher than the average level were positive for HLA-B8 and/or DRw3, while the majority of the HLA-B8(-) and/or DRw3(-) non-thymoma patients demonstrated AChR titers below average. These findings support the possibility of the existence of immune response genes in the HLA-B, DRw segment of the major histocompatibility complex which are concerned in the response to or recognition of autoantigens.
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000276:immunology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D000109:Acetylcholine