Skeletal muscle antibodies in patients with a thymic tumour but without myasthenia gravis.
Sera from 9 patients with a primary thymic tumour but without myasthenia gravis (MG) at the time of thymectomy were examined for skeletal muscle antibodies. Antibodies to a citric acid extract (CA), associated with the presence of a thymic lymphoepithelioma in MG patients, were detected in 3 sera. AChR antibodies were detected in 5 sera, the concentration markedly elevated in 1 of them. Sarcolemmal and cross-striational antibodies were detected in 2 and 3 sera, respectively. Four of the 5 patients with thymic tumours other than a lymphoepithelioma had AChR antibodies, and 3 of them also had CA antibodies.
D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000276:immunology*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D013945:Thymoma / Q000276:immunology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*
D000906:Antibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic