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Detection and characterization of blocking-type anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies in sera from patients with myasthenia gravis

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Published:1st Oct 1993

Author: Hara H, Hayashi K, Ohta K, Itoh N, Nishitani H, Ohta M.

Source: Clinical Chemistry

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Ref.:Clin Chem. 1993 Oct;39(10):2053-7.

DOI:10.1093/clinchem/39.10.2053

Detection and characterization of blocking-type anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies in sera from patients with myasthenia gravis

We developed a highly sensitive, convenient assay for measuring blocking-type anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies, which inhibit the binding of 125I-labeled alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BuTx) to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR). This procedure detected inhibitory activities in sera from 76% of patients with myasthenia gravis. Results of an experiment done with synthetic peptide corresponding to the alpha-BuTx binding region in the alpha-subunit of Torpedo AChR suggested that this inhibition is due to nonspecific steric hindrance caused by the binding of antibodies to a region other than the alpha-BuTx site, rather than by direct binding to the latter site. The inhibitory activities of the blocking-type antibodies and the titers of non-blocking-type antibodies were correlated. Moreover, the blocking-type antibodies could dissociate 125I-labeled alpha-BuTx from 125I-labeled alpha-BuTx-human AChR complex, and their dissociation activities showed good correlation with the inhibitory activities.

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