Anti‐Idiotypic Antibodies against the Receptor Antibodies in Myasthenia Gravis

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Abstract
Anti-idiotypic antibodies were prepared against purified acetylcholine receptor antibodies from two patients with myasthenia gravis. The purified idiotypes did not crow-react. Reaction with idiotypic from other patients were found in 8% and 37%, respectively, which suggest that shared idiotypic specificities occur. The anti-idiotypic gm fractions had no receptor-like activity and did not bind cholinergic ligands. Receptor antibodies from two mothers and their newborn children with neonatel myasthenia gravis showed marked differences in the reactions with an anti-idiotypic antibody. This suggests that not passive transfer of maternal antibodies but a transient synthesis of a receptor antibody with a different specificity is an important factor in the pathogenesis of neonatal myasthenia gravis.