title: Ryanodine receptor autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis patients with a thymoma.
abstract: Sera from patients with myasthenia gravis were examined by Western blot for the presence of antibodies to proteins of the sarcoplasmic reticulum from rabbit skeletal muscle. Fourteen of 30 patients with myasthenia gravis and a thymoma had IgG autoantibodies to the calcium release channel of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (the ryanodine receptor), which plays a crucial role in the mechanism of excitation-contraction coupling in striated muscle. Ryanodine receptor autoantibodies were not detected in any of the 45 sera from patients with myasthenia gravis without a thymoma. Ryanodine receptor autoantibodies may have pathogenetic relevance in thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mygland
authors.forename: O B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Tysnes
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matre
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Aarli
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Gilhus
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000276:immunology; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015220:Calcium Channels; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel