FURTHER-STUDIES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF SERUM AUTOANTIBODIES AGAINST A MEMBRANE-BOUND ACHE FRACTION IN ALS MND PATIENTS AND CONTROLS/

Autoantibodies of the IgG and IgA types against a membrane bound AChE fraction were studied in the serum of ALS/MND patients, controls with neurological or autoimmune diseases, and normal controls. About 70% of ALS and progressive spinal muscle atrophy (PMA) patients had antibodi es of both Ig types (titre >1/81), compared to about 12% of neurologic ally diseased controls and about 8% of the other controls. A higher pr oportion of individuals having autoantibodies was found in the older a ge group in both patients and controls.