Association of Km3 allotype with increased serum levels of autoantibodies against muscle acetylcholine receptor in myasthenia gravis.
Association of immunoglobulin allotypes with myasthenia gravis was examined in a set of 84 patients presenting autoantibodies against muscle acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Km and G1m(f)/G1m(z) allotypes were determined by PCR-amplification followed by hybridization with allele-specific oligonucleotides. The Km3 kappa light chain allotype was found to be associated with significantly increased serum levels of anti-AChR autoantibodies in myasthenic patients (P = 0.014). We hypothesize that an allelic polymorphism of a regulatory (enhancer) sequence closely linked to the C kappa gene segment could account for our finding.
Dondi
E
E
INSERM U25, Hôpital Necker, Paris, France.
Gajdos
P
P
Bach
J F
JF
Garchon
H J
HJ
D000483:Alleles; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes / Q000235:genetics*; D007129:Immunoglobulin Gm Allotypes / Q000235:genetics; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D009132:Muscles / Q000276:immunology*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes; D007129:Immunoglobulin Gm Allotypes; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic