CLINICAL NEUROIMMUNOLOGY

Clinical research has focused on autoimmune disease (AID) for a couple of decades. More sensitive and specific methods have been developed f or neuroimmunological research. Gamma fraction bands (bands separated by electrophoresis and visualized by amino black staining) and IgG fra ction bands (bands separated by iso-electric focusing and visualized b y immunostaining) are used instead of oligoclonal bands. Myasthenia gr avis (MG) mainly involves acetylcholine receptors of the postsynaptic membrane at the neuromuscular junction. Myasthenia gravis has been con sidered to be a generalized AID, because 7% of patients with myastheni a gravis associate with other AIDs and more than one autoimmune antibo dy is detected in 52.5% patients with myasthenia gravis. Pyramidal sig ns in myasthenia gravis patients are described; the possible mechanism may at least be partly due to the acetylcholine receptor antibody. P2 protein and its antibody are studied in patients with acute and chron ic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsev ier Science Ltd.