Myasthenia gravis: population differences in disease expression and acetylcholine receptor antibody titers between Chinese and Caucasians

Neurology. 1987 Dec;37(12):1854-7. doi: 10.1212/wnl.37.12.1854.

Abstract

Clinical features and anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) titers were compared in Chinese (n = 258) and Caucasian (n = 258) myasthenia gravis populations. The former had more early onset and ocular cases, lacked the Caucasian late onset peak, and had fewer severe cases. The distribution of anti-AChR titers was broadly similar in the two populations, and their sera reacted equally well with AChR in both races. The significantly lower (chi 2 = 14.6; p less than 0.001) median anti-AChR titer in the Chinese population can be accounted for by the higher frequency of ocular cases and lower frequency of moderate or severely affected cases.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies / analysis*
  • Asian People
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscles / immunology
  • Myasthenia Gravis / immunology*
  • Receptors, Cholinergic / immunology*
  • White People

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Receptors, Cholinergic