title: Autoantibody to gravin is expressed more strongly in younger and nonthymomatous patients with myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Gravin is expressed in several cell and tissue types as either 300 kDa doublet or 250 kDa proteolytic products. It is a cytoplasmic antigen that reacts with the serum of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). Autoantibodies to gravin residues 1477-1781 are highly specific for MG. In the present study, we examined residues 1477-1781 in detail and found that residues 1542-1547 of gravin protein, which had sequence homology with the binding sequences of two protein A-kinase anchoring proteins, were highly reactive to MG serum. Antigravin antibody activities were stronger in younger and nonthymomatous patients. These findings suggest that antigravin antibody activities could be a useful prognostic factor and that the gravin antibody of MG may have a function which prevents the protein A-kinase binding pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Nagoya City University Medical School, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kunimatsu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamakawa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fukai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiriyama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nonaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D054758:A Kinase Anchor Proteins; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D054758:A Kinase Anchor Proteins; C491162:AKAP12 protein, human; D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D011506:Proteins