ANTIBODY TO ACETYLCHOLINE-RECEPTOR IN MYASTHENIA-GRAVIS - PREVALENCE,CLINICAL CORRELATES, AND DIAGNOSTIC-VALUE (REPRINTED FROM NEUROLOGY, VOL 26, 1054-1059, 1976)

Elevated amounts of antibodies specific for acetylcholine receptors we re detected in 87 percent of sera from 71 patients with myasthenia gra vis but not in 175 sera from individuals without myasthenia gravis, in cluding those with other neurologic or autoimmune diseases. Antirecept or antibodies were not directed at the acetylcholine binding site of t he receptor. Presence or titer of antibody did not appear to correlate with age, sex, steroid therapy, or duration of symptoms. Myasthenia g ravis patients with only ocular symptoms had lower antibody titers, wh ile the majority of titers in myasthenia gravis patients with thymoma exceeded the median titer of the myasthenia gravis group as a whole. A ssay of antireceptor antibody should prove a useful test in the diagno sis of myasthenia gravis.