Detection of low–density lipoprotein receptor–related protein 4 antibodies of myasthenia gravis and its clinical significances

Abstract

Objective To test whether myasthenia gravis (MG) patients have low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4) antibodies in serum, and to evaluate its clinical characteristics. Methods This study included 116 patients with MG, 40 patients with other neurological diseases, and 40 healthy control subjects. For the detection of LRP4 antibody, a cell based assay method was used. Results (1) LRP4-ab was detected in 2 of 116 patients (1.7%) with MG. No LRP4 antibodies were identified in sera from other MG subtypes and control subjects. (2)The clinical characteristics of the 2 LRP4-MG patients were studied. Both of them had same ethnic background and presented thymic changes and isolated ocular symptoms (Osserman Ⅰ). They got full remission after treated with acetylchdinest erase inhibitor and small dose prednisone. Conclusions We found 2 LRP4-ab positive in the sera of MG patients in Guizhou, China. These findings may reminder different pathogenesis in MG patients and give advises to special treatments as different subtypes. Key words: Myasthenia gravis; LDL-receptor related proteins; Autoantibodies