Experimental studies related to autoimmunity in myasthenia gravis.

An investigation of experimental myasthenia gravis

“…Our findings fail to confirm the observation of Goldstein and Whittingham (1966), but are in agreement with those of Vetters et al (1969) and Kaufman et al (1969). Further investigation will need to be undertaken if immunized rats and guinea-pigs are to be regarded and used as reliable experimental models of the human disease of myasthenia gravis.…”

“…They suggested that autoimmune thymitis in guinea-pigs represented an experimental model of myasthenia gravis, and subsequent experiments on guinea-pigs and rats by Goldstein and his co-workers (Goldstein and Hofmann, 1968; Goldstein, Strauss, and Pickeral, 1969) and by Kalden, Williamson, Johnston, and Irvine (1969) have supported this hypothesis. By contrast, Vetters, Simpson, and Folkarde (1969), and Kaufman, Rushworth, and Wright (1969) were unable to detect any abnormality in neuromuscular transmission in guinea-pigs immunized in the manner described by Goldstein and Whittingham (1966).…”

“…The needle electrodes used in the present study are more suitable for recording myasthenic responses than the coaxial needle electrodes employed by Goldstein and Whittingham (1966), since they are less likely to give rise to movement artefacts (Vetters et al, 1969). Kaufman et al (1969), who used an electrode system similar to that employed by Goldstein and Whittingham (1966) commented that artefactual recordings due to displacement of intramuscular electrodes were frequently encountered. However, were satisfied that their recordings of myasthenic responses in immunized rats were not artefactually produced.…”

Immunopathology of myasthenia gravis. Comparison of myasthenic sceletal muscle antibodies with rabbit and rat antibodies produced by immunization with sceletal muscle proteins

“…Vetters et al [32] sowie Kaufman et al [15] konnten diese Ergebnisse jedoch nieht best£tigen. Goldstein et al [9] sowie Kalden et al [14] wiesen bei den iramunisierten Tieren fluorescenzserologisch Antik6rper gegen Skeletmuskelquerstreifen naeh.…”

“…Vcrsuehe, im Tier nach Immunisierung mit Muskelproteinen tin myasthenie/~hnliches Syndrom zu erzeugen, resultierten in widersprtichhchen Ergebnissen: W/~hrend Goldstein et al [9] sowie Kalden et al [14] in Meersehweinchen nach Injektion yon Muskel-oder Thymusextrakten elektromyographisehe Ver/£nderungen fanden, die als myasthenisehe Symptome gedeutet wurden, konnten diese Befunde yon Vetters et al [32] und K a u f m a n et al [15] bei gleieher Versuehsanordnung nieht reproduziert werden, ebenso konnten wir naeh Immunisierung yon Kaninchen keine myasthenische Symptomatik nachweisen [22--24].…”