Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor mRNAs in myasthenic thymuses: association with intrathymic pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis.
Reverse transcription and the polymerase chain reaction showed that the alpha-, beta- and gamma-subunit genes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) in human skeletal muscle were expressed in myasthenia gravis (MG) thymuses (3 thymomas and 7 hyperplastic thymuses). A study of the expression of these subunit mRNAs in a variety of human tissues showed that alpha-subunit mRNA was expressed in human thymus and cerebral cortex, and that all three subunits were expressed only in human child thymus. Our results suggest that a complete AChR similar to extrajunctional (embryonic) muscle AChR is expressed in MG thymuses and that intrathymic AChR might be the primary antigen which induces autoimmune responses to muscle AChR.
Hara
H
H
Clinical Research Center, Utano National Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
Hayashi
K
K
Ohta
K
K
Itoh
N
N
Ohta
M
M
D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009132:Muscles / Q000737:chemistry; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000737:chemistry; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000737:chemistry*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic