Anti-neuronal nicotinic receptor antibodies in MG patients with thymoma.
We tested 24 MG patients with thymoma (11 invasive) for the presence of anti-neuronal nicotinic receptor subtype antibodies and found that none had antibodies against the alpha 7-containing subtype, and only one (with invasive thymoma) had antibodies directed against the alpha 3-containing subtype. In this patient, the anti-alpha 3 antibodies recognized the extracellular part of the alpha 3 subunit. They developed later than the anti-alpha 1 muscle antibodies, with their titer increasing during the illness, while that of the anti-alpha1 muscle antibody decreased. Our data suggest that there is no correlation between the presence of anti-alpha 3 antibodies and thymoma.
Gotti
C
C
CNR Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology Center, Department of Medical Pharmacology, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milano, Italy. c.gotti@csfic.mi.cnr.it
Moretti
M
M
Mantegazza
R
R
Fornasari
D
D
Tsouloufis
T
T
Clementi
F
F
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006801:Humans; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000276:immunology*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000276:immunology*; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
D001323:Autoantibodies; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; C579167:Chrna7 protein, human