title: Anti-acetylcholinesterase antibody in myasthenic syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between antibodies to acetylcholinesterase and myasthenic syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum class specific antibodies to acetylcholinesterase and acetylcholine receptor were prepared with solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 51 patients with myasthenic syndrome, 31 controls with other neurological diseases (diseased controls) and 44 normal controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rate of anti-acetylcholinesterase antibody in patients with myasthenic syndrome was 25%, while the results of the other two control groups were negative. Furthermore, the positive rate in patients without myasthenia gravis was 45%, which was much higher than that (13%) in those with myasthenic gravis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anti-acetylcholinesterase antibody may play a role in the pathogenesis of myasthenic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Beijing Medical University, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hao
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000276:immunology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000276:immunology; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000276:immunology; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase