Seropositive myasthenia and autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy: Cross reactivity or subclinical disease?

Abstract

Autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG) and myasthenia gravis (MG) are both autoimmune channelopathies mediated by antibodies directed against nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. While both diseases target acetylcholine receptors, skeletal muscle and ganglionic receptor subtypes have key immunologic and genetic distinctions, and reports of patients with both AAG and MG are rare. We report a patient with antibody-confirmed AAG and elevated levels of ACh binding antibodies that did not meet clinical or electrodiagnostic criteria for MG. We presume that his skeletal muscle nAChR seropositivity was a false positive, perhaps due to the cross reactivity of the patient's ganglionic nAChR antibodies with skeletal nAChR subtypes.

View details for DOI 10.1016/j.autneu.2011.06.005

View details for Web of Science ID 000295346500013

View details for PubMedID 21745762