Open AccessAutoimmune diseases involving nicotinic receptors
Author(s) -
Lindstrom Jon
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of neurobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1097-4695
pISSN - 0022-3034
DOI - 10.1002/neu.10106
Subject(s) - nicotinic agonist , receptor , acetylcholine receptor , ganglion type nicotinic receptor , biology , antibody , immunology , neuroscience , nicotinic acetylcholine receptor , biochemistry
The antibody‐mediated autoimmune response to α1 muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors that causes myasthenia gravis is one of the best characterized autoimmune diseases. Antibody‐mediated autoimmune responses to neuronal nicotinic receptors are just beginning to be discovered and characterized. One of these causes dysautonomia through antibodies to α3 nicotinic receptors of autonomic ganglia. Another causes pemphigus through antibodies to α9 nicotinic receptors in skin. Other autoimmune responses to nicotinic receptors may be discovered as the many functional roles of nicotinic receptors are revealed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 53: 656–665, 2002