B cell autoimmunity to acetylcholine receptor and its subunits in Lewis rats over the course of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis

• Published in: Journal of neuroimmunology Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 103 - 112
• Main Authors: Wang, Z.-Y., Link, H., Qiao, J., Olsson, T., Huang, W.-X.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 01.06.1993; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Acetylcholine receptor subunits; Animals; Antibodies - analysis; Autoantibodies; Autoimmune Diseases - immunology; Autoimmunity; B cell immunity; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Diseases of striated muscles. Neuromuscular diseases; Female; Immunoglobulin G - immunology; Lymphoid Tissue - immunology; Medical sciences; Myasthenia gravis; Myasthenia Gravis - immunology; Neurology; Radioimmunoassay; Rats; Rats, Inbred Lew; Receptors, Cholinergic - classification; Receptors, Cholinergic - immunology; Thymus; Torpedo; Acetylcholine receptor subunits; Autoantibodies; Myasthenia gravis; B cell immunity; Thymus; Autoimmunity; Immunopathology; Animal model; Neuromuscular diseases; Nervous system diseases; Immune response; Rat; Pathogenesis; Rodentia; Autoimmune disease; B-Lymphocyte; Injection; Mechanism; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Cholinergic receptor; Specificity; Mammalia; Humoral immunity
• ISSN: 0165-5728; 1872-8421
• DOI: 10.1016/0165-5728(93)90169-Y

Experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) is induced by a single injection of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) with complete Freund's adjuvant and represents a useful animal model for studying the mechanisms by which autoimmune responses to AChR and its subunits are coupled to the development of human myasthenia gravis. Using an immunospot assay, we enumerated cells secreting IgG antibodies against Torpedo AChR and the α-, β-, γ- and δ-subunits of Torpedo AChR in lymph nodes, spleen and thymus from Lewis rats over the course of EAMG. Cells secreting IgG antibodies to AChR and to all four subunits were detected at higher numbers in the three immune organs in EAMG compared to controls. Numbers were highest in lymph nodes followed by spleen and thymus. Cells secreting IgG antibodies against native AChR were always higher than those against individual subunits. The immunogenicity between the four subunits did not differ, with the exception that the α-subunit induced a slightly higher B cell response in thymus and lymp nodes. The patterns of B cell responses were similar when analyzed over the course of EAMG from week 2 to week 5, and there was no restriction of the B cell repertoire early in EAMG. Anti-AChR and anti-subunit antibody-secreting cells were detected in control animals immunized with adjuvant only, but at numbers which were much lower, and which were within the same levels as numbers of cells secreting IgG antibodies to the control antigen myelin basic protein, probably reflecting naturally occuring autoimmune B cells.