MuSK autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis detected by cell based assay--A multinational study.

Tsonis, A.; Zisimopoulou, P.; Lazaridis, K.; Tzartos, J.; Matsigkou, E.; Zouvelou, V.; Mantegazza, R.; Antozzi, C.; Andreetta, F.; Evoli, A.; Deymeer, F.; Saruhan-Direskeneli, G.; Durmus, Hacer; Brenner, T.; Vaknin, A.; Berrih-Aknin, S.; Behin, A.; Sharshar, T.; De Baets, M.; Losen, M.; Martinez-Martinez, P.; Kleopa, K.; Zamba-Papanicolaou, E.; Kyriakides, T.; Kostera-Pruszczyk, A.; Szczudlik, P.; Szyluk, B.; Lavrnic, D.; Basta, I.; Peric, S.; Tallaksen, C.; Maniaol, A.; Pons, C.; Pitha, J.; Jakubikova, M.; Hanisch, F.; Tzartos, S.

doi:10.1016/j.jneuroim.2015.04.015

MuSK autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis detected by cell based assay--A multinational study.

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Tsonis A. I., Zisimopoulou P., Lazaridis K., Tzartos J., Matsigkou E., Zouvelou V., ...More

Journal of neuroimmunology, vol.284, pp.10-7, 2015 (SCI-Expanded)

Publication Type: Article / Article
Volume: 284
Publication Date: 2015
Doi Number: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2015.04.015
Journal Name: Journal of neuroimmunology
Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
Page Numbers: pp.10-7
Istanbul University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Seronegative myasthenia gravis (MG) presents a serious gap in MG diagnosis and understanding. We applied a cell based assay (CBA) for the detection of muscle specific kinase (MuSK) antibodies undetectable by radioimmunoassay. We tested 633 triple-seronegative MG patients' sera from 13 countries, detecting 13% as positive. MuSK antibodies were found, at significantly lower frequencies, in 1.9% of healthy controls and 5.1% of other neuroimmune disease patients, including multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. The clinical data of the newly diagnosed MuSK-MG patients are presented. 27% of ocular seronegative patients were MuSK antibody positive. Moreover, 23% had thymic hyperplasia suggesting that thymic abnormalities are more common than believed. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.