A novel MuSK cell-based myasthenia gravis diagnostic assay

J Neuroimmunol. 2019 Dec 15:337:577076. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2019.577076. Epub 2019 Oct 19.

Abstract

To improve the clinical diagnosis of neural autoimmune diseases, we developed an in-house muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) antibody cell-based assay (CBA) and compared its performance with RIA, ELISA, and other CBAs. Sera from patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and other autoimmune diseases were analyzed. We found 46 (18.3%) MuSK-CBA Ab positive cases among 251 AChR-Ab negative cases [patients] and 4 (0.6%) MuSK-CBA Ab positive cases [among] the 624 AChR-Ab positive samples. Comparing these with available clinic assays, our highly specific CBA method is more sensitive than commercial ELISA and IFA(indirect immunofluorescence assay).

Keywords: Antibody; Cell-based assay; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Indirect immunofluorescence assay; Muscle-specific kinase; Myasthenia gravis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Autoantibodies / blood*
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / standards
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myasthenia Gravis / blood*
  • Myasthenia Gravis / diagnosis*
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / blood*
  • Receptors, Cholinergic / blood*

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Biomarkers
  • Receptors, Cholinergic
  • MUSK protein, human
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases