2020
Affinity maturation is required for pathogenic monovalent IgG4 autoantibody development in myasthenia gravis
Fichtner ML, Vieni C, Redler RL, Kolich L, Jiang R, Takata K, Stathopoulos P, Suarez PA, Nowak RJ, Burden SJ, Ekiert DC, O’Connor K. Affinity maturation is required for pathogenic monovalent IgG4 autoantibody development in myasthenia gravis. Journal Of Experimental Medicine 2020, 217: e20200513. PMID: 32820331, PMCID: PMC7953735, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20200513.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMyasthenia gravisUnmutated common ancestorPathogenic capacityMuscle-specific tyrosine kinaseAffinity maturationMuSK myasthenia gravisAutoimmune myasthenia gravisMonovalent antigen-binding fragmentsUnique autoantibodiesIgG4 autoantibodiesAutoantibody developmentAutoantibodiesFab-arm exchangeMonoclonal autoantibodiesAntigen-binding fragmentsGravisSomatic mutationsSubnanomolar affinityMAbsMonovalent FabTyrosine kinaseMaturationImmunopathologyAutoimmunity
2017
B cells in the pathophysiology of myasthenia gravis
Yi JS, Guptill JT, Stathopoulos P, Nowak RJ, O’Connor K. B cells in the pathophysiology of myasthenia gravis. Muscle & Nerve 2017, 57: 172-184. PMID: 28940642, PMCID: PMC5767142, DOI: 10.1002/mus.25973.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsConceptsMyasthenia gravisB cellsMuscle-specific tyrosine kinaseArchetypal autoimmune diseaseMuscle end platesProduction of autoantibodiesMost patientsPathogenic autoantibodiesAutoimmune diseasesAdaptive immunityHuman studiesAcetylcholine receptorsFunctional AChRsNeuromuscular junctionPostsynaptic proteinsAutoantibodiesCellular immunologyMolecular immunologyGravisImmunopathologyPathologyAChRImmunologyTyrosine kinaseEnd plates