Carbonic anhydrase III is insufficient in muscles of myasthenia gravis patients.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is considered as an autoimmune disease mainly mediated by antibodies against acetylcholine receptor. In recent years, other targets related to MG have been the subject of interest. Our previous research found that protein P25 was lower in muscles of MG patients using two-dimensional electrophoresis.

[Expression and tissue and species specificity of P25 protein in patients with myasthenia gravis].

Objectives: To confirm the specific decrease of P25 protein, a novel myasthenia gravis (MG) associated protein, in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and to study the tissue and species specificity of its expression.

Methods: Samples of great pectoral muscle were taken from 28 MG patients, 17 males and 11 females, 10 of which being complicated with thymoma and 18 with hyperplasia of thymus, during thymectomy, and 24 wounded persons as normal controls, 14 males and 10 females, during thoracic surgery. Ten samples of skeletal muscle were taken from 10 patients with other muscular disorders (OMD) during skeletal muscle biopsy.