Submit a comment

Molecular mimicry and myasthenia gravis. An autoantigenic site of the acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit that has biologic activity and reacts immunochemically with herpes simplex virus.
P L Schwimmbeck, T Dyrberg, D B Drachman, M B Oldstone
P L Schwimmbeck, T Dyrberg, D B Drachman, M B Oldstone
View: Text | PDF
Research Article

Molecular mimicry and myasthenia gravis. An autoantigenic site of the acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit that has biologic activity and reacts immunochemically with herpes simplex virus.

Abstract

The large majority of patients with the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis characteristically have detectable antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor (AChR). We used synthetic peptides to identify antibodies in sera of myasthenia gravis patients reactive with the human acetylcholine receptor (HuAChR) alpha-subunit, residues 160-167. Affinity purification of these antibodies, using the HuAChR alpha-subunit 157-170 peptide immobilized on thiopropyl-Sepharose, yielded IgG antibodies that bound to the native AChR and inhibited the binding of alpha-bungarotoxin to the receptor. The HuAChR alpha-subunit 160-167 peptide demonstrated specific immunological cross-reactivity with a shared homologous domain on herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D, residues 286-293, by both binding and inhibition studies. Thus, HuAChR alpha-subunit, residues 160-167, elicits antibodies in myasthenic patients that binds to the native AChR protein and is capable of eliciting a biologic effect. Immunologic cross-reactivity of this "self" epitope with herpes simplex virus suggest that this virus may be associated with the initiation of some cases of myasthenia.

Authors

P L Schwimmbeck, T Dyrberg, D B Drachman, M B Oldstone

×

Guidelines

The Editorial Board will only consider comments that are deemed relevant and of interest to readers. The Journal will not post data that have not been subjected to peer review; or a comment that is essentially a reiteration of another comment.

  • Comments appear on the Journal’s website and are linked from the original article’s web page.
  • Authors are notified by email if their comments are posted.
  • The Journal reserves the right to edit comments for length and clarity.
  • No appeals will be considered.
  • Comments are not indexed in PubMed.

Specific requirements

  • Maximum length, 400 words
  • Entered as plain text or HTML
  • Author’s name and email address, to be posted with the comment
  • Declaration of all potential conflicts of interest (even if these are not ultimately posted); see the Journal’s conflict-of-interest policy
  • Comments may not include figures
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required