Abstract
Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) sera were screened for antibodies to human alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) using electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and ligand binding assays. Sera from two of nine patients with RE blocked ACh-induced currents through alpha7 nAChRs and the ACh-induced rise in intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) and inhibited (125)I-alpha-bungarotoxin binding in cells expressing alpha7 nAChRs. Thus, the alpha7 nAChR is a potential target for pathogenic antibodies in patients with RE.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Adolescent
-
Animals
-
Autoantibodies / blood*
-
Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System / immunology
-
Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System / physiopathology
-
Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System / therapy
-
Binding, Competitive / drug effects
-
Binding, Competitive / immunology
-
Brain / immunology*
-
Brain / metabolism*
-
Brain / physiopathology
-
Bungarotoxins / metabolism
-
Calcium Signaling / drug effects
-
Calcium Signaling / physiology
-
Child
-
Child, Preschool
-
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
-
Encephalitis / blood*
-
Encephalitis / diagnosis
-
Encephalitis / immunology*
-
Female
-
Fluorescent Dyes
-
Fura-2
-
Humans
-
Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use
-
Infant
-
Intracellular Fluid / drug effects
-
Intracellular Fluid / metabolism
-
Male
-
Oocytes / drug effects
-
Oocytes / metabolism
-
Radioligand Assay
-
Receptors, Nicotinic / blood*
-
Receptors, Nicotinic / immunology*
-
Xenopus laevis
-
alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
Substances
-
Autoantibodies
-
Bungarotoxins
-
Chrna7 protein, human
-
Fluorescent Dyes
-
Immunologic Factors
-
Receptors, Nicotinic
-
alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
-
Fura-2