Nicotinic Receptor Antibody

From Anvita Health Wiki

Contents 1 More Specific Terms 2 Indications 3 Reference-interval 4 Clinical-significance 5 Methods 6 Specimen 7 More General Terms 8 Additional Terms 9 References

More Specific Terms

• Acetylcholine receptor binding Ab

Indications

• evaluation of myasthenia gravis

Reference-interval

• < 0.03 nmol/L

Clinical-significance

• occurs in patients with myasthenia gravis ( MG).
• occasionally occur in association with:

• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ( ALS)
• Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome
• pernicious anemia

• does NOT occur with congenital myasthenia gravis
• occurs in only 15% of patients with ocular myasthenia gravis

Methods

• Radioimmunoassay ( RIA)

• False positives may occur with muscle relaxants:

• metocurine
• succinylcholine

• Acetylcholine receptor antibody is more sensitive for detection of MG than electromyography ( EMG) & is useful for following the response of MG to therapy. If negative & clinical suspicion of MG is high, acetylcholine receptor blocking & acetylcholine receptor modulating antibodies are used as 2nd & 3rd line tests.

Specimen

• serum
• store refrigerated or frozen without preservative
• do NOT use plasma
• stable at -20 degrees C

More General Terms

• autoantibody
• acetylcholine receptor antibody

Additional Terms

• acetylcholine (nicotinic) receptor blocking antibody
• acetylcholine (nicotinic) receptor modulating antibody
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); Lou Gerig's disease
• Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS)
• myasthenia gravis
• nicotinic receptor (nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, nAChR)
• pernicious anemia

References

1. Mayo Internal Medicine Board Review, 1998-99, Prakash UBS (ed) Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, 1998, pg 651
2. Clinical Guide to Laboratory Tests, 3rd ed. Teitz ed., W.B. Saunders, 1995

acetylcholine (nicotinic) receptor antibody