Reactivity of Myasthenia Gravis Serum -Globulin with Skeletal Muscle and Thymus Demonstrated by Immunofluoirescence.

Abstract

Sera from patients with myasthenia gravis (36 out of a total of 90) showed reactivity with epithelial cells in the thymus by means of the immunofluorescence technique. This antibody was cross reactive with skeletal muscle. All 9 sera of patients whose myasthenia was associated with a thymoma showed strong reactivity in serum dilutions of up to 1:60. Antigenic change in epithelial cells is postulated as a possible mechanism initiating an auto-immune response in the thymus.