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Single-fiber electromyography in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis
J J Verschuuren1, F Spaans, M H De Baets
1Department of Immunology, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
The sensitivity of stimulated single-fiber electromyography in the detection of early abnormalities in neuromuscular transmission in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) was tested. Increased jitter and blocking were seen up to 3 weeks before clinical illness or decrement developed. Stimulation at 10 Hz appeared more sensitive in detection of abnormalities than stimulation at 3 or 5 Hz. Jitter values did not correlate with anti-Torpedo acetylcholine receptor (AChR), nor with anti-rat AChR antibody titer. No correlation was found between jitter and AChR loss or AChR-antibody complexes in muscle. It is concluded that, in addition to AChR loss and the presence of AChR-antibody complexes, other factors must determine the neuromuscular dysfunction in EAMG and possibly myasthenia gravis.