title: Detection and characterization of MuSK antibodies in seronegative myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Antibodies to rat muscle specific kinase, MuSK, have recently been identified in some generalized "seronegative" myasthenia gravis (SNMG) patients, who are often females with marked bulbar symptoms. Using immunoprecipitation of (125)I-labelled-human MuSK, 27 of 66 (41%) seronegative patients were positive, but 18 ocular SNMG patients, 105 AChR antibody positive MG patients, and 108 controls were negative. The antibodies are of high affinity (Kds around 100 pM) with titers between 1 and 200 nM. They bind to the extracellular Ig-like domains of soluble or native MuSK. Surprisingly they are predominantly in the IgG4 subclass. MuSK-antibody associated MG may be different in etiological and pathological mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Clinical Neurology, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McConville
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Farrugia
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beeson
authors.forename: Uday
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kishore
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Metcalfe
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Newsom-Davis
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vincent
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000097:blood*; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; C095714:MUSK protein, human; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases