help button home button Am J Pathol R & D Systems
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS

This Article
Right arrow Order Full text via Infotrieve
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kornstein, M. J.
Right arrow Articles by Fuchs, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kornstein, M. J.
Right arrow Articles by Fuchs, S.

American Journal of Pathology, Vol 146, 1320-1324, Copyright © 1995 by American Society for Investigative Pathology

REGULAR ARTICLES

Acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit and myogenin mRNAs in thymus and thymomas

MJ Kornstein, O Asher and S Fuchs
Department of Chemical Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder characterized in most cases by serological antibody against the acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Evidence for intrathymic localization of AChR suggests that the thymus has an important role in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Using reverse transcription followed by the polymerase chain reaction, we have demonstrated AChR alpha-subunit mRNA in thymuses and thymomas from patients with and without myasthenia gravis. We have also studied the expression of myogenin which is known to be involved in the regulation of AChR expression. By using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, we found myogenin mRNAs in all of the thymuses and thymomas. Thus, both AChR alpha-subunit and myogenin mRNA are present in all of these specimens. By immunohistochemistry myoid cells (desmin and myoglobin positive) were present in all (four of four) thymuses studied and in two of five thymomas. Thus, in thymomas, nonmyoid cells might express both AChR and myogenin. These results indicate that cells within the thymus and thymoma express AChR and its regulatory protein myogenin and that such cells, under certain conditions, might play a role in the triggering of myasthenia gravis.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Arch NeurolHome page
C. Amdahl, E. H. Alseth, N. E. Gilhus, H. L. Nakkestad, and G. O. Skeie
Polygenic Disease Associations in Thymomatous Myasthenia Gravis
Arch Neurol, December 1, 2007; 64(12): 1729 - 1733.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 NeurologyHome page
A. Wilisch, S. Gutsche, V. Hoffacker, A. Schultz, S. Tzartos, W. Nix, B. Schalke, C. Schneider, H.-K. Muller-Hermelink, and A. Marx
Association of acetylcholine receptor {alpha}-subunit gene expression in mixed thymoma with myasthenia gravis
Neurology, April 1, 1999; 52(7): 1460 - 1460.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci.Home page
Y. LIYANAGE, M. TEO, C. MacLENNAN, A. BUCKEL, D. BEESON, N. WILLCOX, J. NEWSOM-DAVIS, and A. VINCENT
Expression of Muscle Proteins in Thymomas of Patients with Myasthenia Gravis
Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., May 13, 1998; 841(1): 411 - 413.
[Full Text]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1995 by the American Society for Investigative Pathology.