PMID- 20380581
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20101130
LR  - 20100819
IS  - 1607-842X (Electronic)
IS  - 0891-6934 (Linking)
VI  - 43
IP  - 5-6
DP  - 2010 Aug
TI  - The auto-antigen repertoire in myasthenia gravis.
PG  - 380-400
LID - 10.3109/08916930903518073 [doi]
AB  - Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is an antibody-mediated autoimmune disorder affecting the 
      postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). MG is characterized by 
      an impaired signal transmission between the motor neuron and the skeletal muscle 
      cell, caused by auto-antibodies directed against NMJ proteins. The 
      auto-antibodies target the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in about 90% 
      of MG patients. In approximately 5% of MG patients, the muscle specific kinase 
      (MuSK) is the auto-antigen. In the remaining 5% of MG patients, however, 
      antibodies against the nAChR or MuSK are not detectable (idiopathic MG, iMG). 
      Although only the anti-nAChR and anti-MuSK auto-antibodies have been demonstrated 
      to be pathogenic, several other antibodies recognizing self-antigens can also be 
      found in MG patients. Various auto-antibodies associated with thymic 
      abnormalities have been reported, as well as many non-MG-specific 
      auto-antibodies. However, their contribution to the cause, pathology and severity 
      of the disease is still poorly understood. Here, we comprehensively review the 
      reported auto-antibodies in MG patients and discuss their role in the pathology 
      of this autoimmune disease.
FAU - Vrolix, Kathleen
AU  - Vrolix K
AD  - Division of Neuroscience, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of 
      Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The 
      Netherlands.
FAU - Fraussen, Judith
AU  - Fraussen J
FAU - Molenaar, Peter C
AU  - Molenaar PC
FAU - Losen, Mario
AU  - Losen M
FAU - Somers, Veerle
AU  - Somers V
FAU - Stinissen, Piet
AU  - Stinissen P
FAU - De Baets, Marc H
AU  - De Baets MH
FAU - Martinez-Martinez, Pilar
AU  - Martinez-Martinez P
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Review
PL  - England
TA  - Autoimmunity
JT  - Autoimmunity
JID - 8900070
RN  - 0 (Autoantibodies)
RN  - 0 (Autoantigens)
RN  - 0 (Cytokines)
RN  - 0 (Receptors, Cholinergic)
RN  - 0 (Receptors, Nicotinic)
RN  - EC 2.7.10.1 (MUSK protein, human)
RN  - EC 2.7.10.1 (Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Autoantibodies/blood/classification/*immunology
MH  - Autoantigens/*immunology
MH  - Autoimmune Diseases/immunology
MH  - Cytokines/immunology
MH  - Humans
MH  - Muscle Weakness/immunology
MH  - Myasthenia Gravis/*immunology/physiopathology
MH  - Neuromuscular Junction/immunology/physiopathology
MH  - Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/*immunology
MH  - Receptors, Cholinergic/*immunology
MH  - Receptors, Nicotinic/*immunology
MH  - Thymus Gland/immunology/physiopathology
EDAT- 2010/04/13 06:00
MHDA- 2010/12/14 06:00
CRDT- 2010/04/13 06:00
PHST- 2010/04/13 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2010/04/13 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2010/12/14 06:00 [medline]
AID - 10.3109/08916930903518073 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Autoimmunity. 2010 Aug;43(5-6):380-400. doi: 10.3109/08916930903518073.