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A New Model Linking Intrathymic Acetylcholine Receptor Expression and the Pathogenesis of Myasthenia Gravis
Author(s) -
LEVINSON ARNOLD I.,
ZHENG YI,
GAULTON GLEN,
MOORE JONNI,
PLETCHER C. HANK,
SONG DECHENG,
WHEATLEY LISA M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1254.027
Subject(s) - myasthenia gravis , pathogenesis , acetylcholine receptor , neuromuscular junction , acetylcholine , immunology , autoimmune disease , autoimmunity , receptor , medicine , biology , endocrinology , neuroscience , antibody
A bstract : The thymus is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG), an autoimmune disease characterized by skeletal muscle weakness. However, its role remains a mystery. The studies described represent our efforts to determine how intrathymic expression of the neuromuscular type of acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) is involved in the immunopathogenesis of MG. We review our work characterizing the expression of the alpha subunit of nAChR (nAChRα) in the thymus and advance a new hypothesis that examines the intrathymic expression of this autoantigen in disease pathogenesis.