Assay

Acetylcholine receptor antibodies (ACRA)

Key Words

Acetylcholine receptor antibodies ACRA, Myasthenia gravis Panel 

Specimen Collection

Serum (brown)

Turnaround time

Contact referral centre for Turnaround time

This test is referred to another centre:

Department of Immunology 

The Churchill Hospital Headington

Oxford

OX3 7LJ

Tel: 01865 225995
Fax: 01865 225990

Test indications

IgG Anti-AChR antibodies are found in 80-90% of subjects with myasthenia gravis, and 60% of those with ocular myasthenia. They are virtually never found in the normal population, but are seen in 3-10% of unaffected first degree relatives of myasthenic patients. 50% of patients with non-myasthenic thymoma are positive, and in 4% of patients on penicillamine with no clinical evidence of myasthenia. The majority of neonates born to seropositive myasthenic mothers are transiently anti-AChR positive due to passive transfer of maternal immunoglobulin, however only a small percentage develop clinical neonatal myasthenia. 

Please Note: MuSK antibodies may be useful in patients with a convincing history of myasthenia who are negative for AChR antibodies.

Methodology

Indirect immunofluoresence 

Interferences

Contact referral laboratory

Reference Range

Contact referral laboratory

Analytical error

Contact referral laboratory 

Reference change value

N/A