title: Myasthenia gravis: analysis of serum autoantibody reactivities to 1827 potential human autoantigens by protein macroarrays.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myasthenia gravis is a disorder of neuromuscular transmission associated with autoantibodies against the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. We have previously developed a customized protein macroarray comprising 1827 potential human autoantigens, which permitted to discriminate sera of patients with different cancers from sera of healthy controls, but has not yet been evaluated in antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether autoantibody signatures obtained by protein macroarray separate sera of patients with myasthenia gravis from healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera of patients with acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive myasthenia gravis (n = 25) and healthy controls (n = 32) were analyzed by protein macroarrays comprising 1827 peptide clones.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Autoantibody signatures did not separate patients with myasthenia gravis from controls with sufficient sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Intensity values of one antigen (poly A binding protein cytoplasmic 1, p = 0.0045) were higher in patients with myasthenia gravis, but the relevance of this and two further antigens, 40S ribosomal protein S13 (20.8% vs. 0%, p = 0.011) and proteasome subunit alpha type 1 (25% vs. 3.1%, p = 0.035), which were detected more frequently by myasthenia gravis than by control sera, currently remains uncertain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Seroreactivity profiles of patients with myasthenia gravis detected by a customized protein macroarray did not allow discrimination from healthy controls, compatible with the notion that the autoantibody response in myasthenia gravis is highly focussed against the acetylcholine receptor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Universität des Saarlandes, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tackenberg
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eienbröker
authors.forename: Wolfgang H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Oertel
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fassbender
authors.forename: Eckart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meese
authors.forename: Klemens
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ruprecht
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D039122:Poly(A)-Binding Protein I / Q000378:metabolism; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D010455:Peptides; D039122:Poly(A)-Binding Protein I; C047013:RPS13 protein, human; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex