Identification of skeletal muscle autoantigens by expression library screening using sera from autoimmune rippling muscle disease (ARMD) patients.

Novel forms of contractile regulation observed in skeletal muscle are evident in neuromuscular diseases like rippling muscle disease (RMD). Previous studies of an autoimmune form of RMD (ARMD) identified a very high molecular weight skeletal muscle protein antigen recognized by ARMD patient antisera. This study utilized ARMD and myasthenia gravis (MG) patient antisera, to screen a human skeletal muscle cDNA library that subsequently identified proteins that could play a role in ARMD.