Neuroimmunology of myasthenia gravis.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) of the neuromuscular junction. Anti-AChR antibodies are present in 85% of patients and bind to distinct epitopes on the surface of the AChR alpha subunits, as defined by competition with monoclonal anti-AChR antibodies. There are at least three types of the disease, defined by thymic histology, age of onset, and HLA associations, and anti-AChR antibodies show some differences in fine specificity between those with thymic hyperplasia and those with thymic tumors. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from MG patients contain T lymphocytes specifically sensitized to AChR. These are stimulated by purified Torpedo AChR and some human alpha subunit synthetic peptides. The T and B cell epitopes on the primary sequence of the alpha subunit are currently being mapped using recombinant human AChR subunit fragments.
Vincent
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Department of Clinical Neurology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.
D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic