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Myasthenia gravis

Population differences in disease expression and acetylcholine receptor antibody titers between Chinese and Caucasians

Department of Neurological Science (Drs. Chiu, Vincent, and Newsom-Davis), Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, and the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square (Dr. Newsom-Davis), London, UK; and the Departments of Neurology (Dr. Hung) and Pediatrics (Dr. Hsieh), National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei; Taiwan, ROC.

Clinical features and anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) titers were compared in Chinese (n = 258) and Caucasian (n = 258) myasthenia gravis populations. The former had more early onset and ocular cases, lacked the Caucasian late onset peak, and had fewer severe cases. The distribution of anti-AChR titers was broadly similar in the two populations, and their sera reacted equally well with AChR in both races. The significantly lower (x² = 14.6; p < 0.001) median anti-AChR titer in the Chinese population can be accounted for by the higher frequency of ocular cases and lower frequency of moderate or severely affected cases.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Vincent, Department of Neurological Science, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London NW3 ZPF, UK.

Supported by grants from the National Council of Science, Republic of China (NSC-73-0412-B002-16), from Roche Far East Ltd., and from the Medical Research Council of Great Britain.

Received September 2, 1986. Accepted for publication in final form February 18, 1987.

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