Myasthenia gravis: passive transfer from man to mouse

KV Toyka, DB Brachman, A Pestronk, I Kao - Science, 1975 - science.org
KV Toyka, DB Brachman, A Pestronk, I Kao
Science, 1975science.org
Daily injections into mice of an ammonium sulfate-precipitated immunoglobulin fraction of
serum from patients with myasthenia gravis were carried out for up to 14 days. The mice
showed reduced amplitudes of miniature endplate potentials and reduced numbers of
acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junctions. Some mice showed typical
decremental responses on repetitive nerve stimulation, with reversal by neostigmine. This
represents the first evidence of a circulating factor in the serum of patients with myasthenia …
Daily injections into mice of an ammonium sulfate-precipitated immunoglobulin fraction of serum from patients with myasthenia gravis were carried out for up to 14 days. The mice showed reduced amplitudes of miniature endplate potentials and reduced numbers of acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junctions. Some mice showed typical decremental responses on repetitive nerve stimulation, with reversal by neostigmine. This represents the first evidence of a circulating factor in the serum of patients with myasthenia gravis which on passive transfer reproduces features of the disease in experimental animals.
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