Originally Posted by Nicknerd

Hey guys,

Alright...I'm on another MG forum, and someone posted some extremely interesting research.....

This is regarding Ocular MG, but doesn't seem to be limited to the pure ocular form of MG. Basically, it says that a large number for MG patients with the ocular type have antibodies to anticholineriterase (sp.?) which basically means that the sx they experience are due to excess acetylcholine as opposed to too little- so essentially, they are having a cholinergic crisis (this is what i gather from this)...check it out...

This is the published extract from the Journal of Neuroimmunology .


Anti-acetylcholinesterase antibodies associate with ocular myasthenia gravis
Carlo Provenzanoa 1 , Mariapaola Marinoa1, Flavia Scuderia, Amelia Evolib, Emanuela Bartoccionia
Received 4 September 2009; received in revised form 6 November 2009; accepted 6 November 2009. published online 30 November 2009.

Abstract
In MG, anti-AChR or anti-MuSK abs impair neuromuscular transmission. Partial inhibition of AChE can ameliorate symptoms, while a complete block causes a cholinergic blockade. We found anti-AChE abs in 115/240 MG patients, with no correlation with sex, age at onset, thymus pathology, presence of anti-AChR or anti-MuSK antibodies. We found a correlation with the ocular form of the disease, and with milder forms of MG not requiring immunosuppressants; moreover, when we considered only those patients who were off AChEI therapy, we found that ocular patients were positive for anti-AChE abs, while generalized patients were negative. According to an experimental model, we hypothesize that anti-AChE abs could contribute to ptosis through an inhibition of the sympathetic innervation of the tarsal muscle.

This, I think, is applicable to at least a few people here...I think it's pretty profound, and I wonder why our neuros. haven't spoken with us about this possibility...Maybe this is why so many have had negative effects with mestinon?

What do you all think? Did I understand this correctly, or what?