The significance of Titin antibody in diagnosing myasthenia gravis with thymoma
Chen, X.; Lü, C.; Qiao, J.
Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 81(18): 1118-1120
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0376-2491 PMID: 11766610 Document Number: 528679
To investigate the clinical significance of Titin antibody (Titin-ab) in diagnosing myasthenia gravis with thymoma (MGT). Titin-ab and acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChR-ab) in the sera of 73 MGT patients with different thymic pathological patterns and 58 MG patients without thymoma (NTMG) were detected by ELISA. The positive rate of Titin-ab in MGT group was 76.7%, significantly higher than those of NTMG group, other neurologic diseases group and healthy control group (P < 0.01). The sensitivity of Titin-ab in diagnosis of MGT was significantly lower than that of CT scan or MR of thymus (P < 0.05), but the specificity of Titin-ab in diagnosis of MGT was significantly higher than that of CT scan or MR of thymus (P < 0.05). The positive rate of Titin-ab was mainly related to the thymic pathology and was the highest in the thymic epithelial thymoma (TET) subgroup (95.1%). There was no significant correlation between the positive rate of Titin-ab and the Masaoka's stage of thymoma (P > 0.05). The titer of Titin-ab was highly correlated to the titer of AChR-ab in MGT group (r = 0.496, P < 0.01), but not in MGH group (r = 0.385, P > 0.05). Detection of Titin-ab is a rather sensitive, specific, handy method in diagnosis of MGT (especially TET). It may play an important role in the pathogenesis of MGT.