Single-fiber electromyography in limb and facial muscles in muscle-specific kinase antibody and acetylcholine receptor antibody myasthenia gravis

Muscle Nerve. 2006 Apr;33(4):568-70. doi: 10.1002/mus.20491.

Abstract

We examined the findings from single-fiber electromyography in extensor digitorum communis (EDC) and orbicularis oculi (OOc) in 13 myasthenia gravis (MG) patients with muscle-specific kinase antibodies (MuSK-MG) and 12 MG patients with acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChR-MG) with similar clinical scores. More than 70% of AChR-MG patients had abnormal jitter in both EDC and OOc, but the majority of MuSK-MG patients had normal jitter in EDC despite abnormal jitter in OOc. These findings demonstrate clear differences between the neurophysiology of MuSK-MG and AChR-MG.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholinesterase / metabolism
  • Antibodies / analysis
  • Disability Evaluation
  • Electromyography
  • Electrophysiology
  • Extremities / innervation
  • Facial Muscles / innervation
  • Facial Muscles / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / physiology*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / innervation
  • Muscle, Skeletal / physiology*
  • Myasthenia Gravis / immunology
  • Myasthenia Gravis / metabolism*
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Cholinergic / immunology
  • Receptors, Cholinergic / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Receptors, Cholinergic
  • MUSK protein, human
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Acetylcholinesterase