title: Muscle-specific kinase antibodies: a novel cause of peripheral nerve hyperexcitability?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antibodies that target the postsynaptic neuromuscular junction (NMJ) protein, muscle-specific kinase (MuSK), have been associated with myasthenia gravis (MG), often with cramps and fasciculations, after administration of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChE-I).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this report, 2 patients are described with elevated MuSK antibodies and evidence of peripheral nerve hyperexcitability (PNH) unrelated to AChE-I medication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient 1 presented with facial neuromyotonia and fasciculations, without overt weakness. EMG studies demonstrated myokymic discharges in facial muscles, with bursts of discharges after voluntary activation, and widespread fasciculation potentials in limb muscles. Patient 2 presented with bulbar weakness and fasciculations in the tongue and limbs, initially diagnosed as bulbar-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Subsequent investigation identified the presence of MuSK antibodies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We hypothesize that MuSK antibodies may induce these phenotypes through disruptive actions at the NMJ, in particular the binding of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to MuSK via its collagen Q (ColQ) tail, producing a reduction in synaptic AChE activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Neil G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Stephen W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Reddel
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kiernan
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Layzer
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000201:enzymology / Q000294:innervation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000294:innervation; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000276:immunology; D014059:Tongue / Q000201:enzymology / Q000294:innervation
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; C095714:MUSK protein, human; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase
keywords: MuSK; fasciculations; myasthenia gravis; neuromyotonia; peripheral nerve hyperexcitability