title: Anti-idiotypic antibodies against the receptor antibodies in myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Anti-idiotypic antibodies were prepared against purified acetylcholine receptor antibodies from two patients with myasthenia gravis. The purified idiotypes did not cross-react. Reaction with idiotypes from other patients were found in 8% and 37%, respectively, which suggests that shared idiotypic specificities occur. The anti-idiotypic IgG fractions had no receptor-like activity and did not bind cholinergic ligands. Receptor antibodies from two mothers and their newborn children with neonatal myasthenia gravis showed marked differences in the reactions with an anti-idiotypic antibody. This suggests that not passive transfer of maternal antibodies but a transient synthesis of a receptor antibody with a different specificity is an important factor in the pathogenesis of neonatal myasthenia gravis.
mesh_terms: D001285:Atropine / Q000378:metabolism; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*; D014403:Tubocurarine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D009498:Neurotoxins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D001285:Atropine; C032943:metocurine; D014403:Tubocurarine