title: Single-fiber electromyography in limb and facial muscles in muscle-specific kinase antibody and acetylcholine receptor antibody myasthenia gravis.
abstract: We examined the findings from single-fiber electromyography in extensor digitorum communis (EDC) and orbicularis oculi (OOc) in 13 myasthenia gravis (MG) patients with muscle-specific kinase antibodies (MuSK-MG) and 12 MG patients with acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChR-MG) with similar clinical scores. More than 70% of AChR-MG patients had abnormal jitter in both EDC and OOc, but the majority of MuSK-MG patients had normal jitter in EDC despite abnormal jitter in OOc. These findings demonstrate clear differences between the neurophysiology of MuSK-MG and AChR-MG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Farrugia
authors.forename: Robin P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Kennett
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Newsom-Davis
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hilton-Jones
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vincent
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004576:Electromyography; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005121:Extremities / Q000294:innervation; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; C095714:MUSK protein, human; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase