Acetylcholine receptor antibodies - plasma or serum
Last updated: Monday, 06, August, 2007
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| Item | Process |
|---|---|
| Specimen | 5 mL blood in plain tube on melting ice, or blood spots on kit filter paper. |
| Method | Competitive binding assay using radio-labelled alpha-bungarotoxin acetylcholine receptor. Radio-immunoassay using cell lines. |
| Reference Interval | Qualitative test. Positive result is significant. |
| Application | Diagnosis of myasthenia gravis; monitoring disease activity. |
| Interpretation | More than 90% of patients with generalised myasthenia gravis and about 60% of those with ocular myasthenia have detectable acetylcholine receptor antibodies. The test is positive in less than 1% of non-myasthenic individuals and a positive result usually indicates a related disorder. |
| Reference | Drachman, Daniel B. Medical progress: myasthenia gravis. N Engl J Med 1994; 330: 1797-810. |