Newly identified biomarker could lead to simple blood test for rare autoimmune disease (Simple fibrinogen test shows 1000X higher than normal)

Medical Xpress / University of Alberta / Scientific Reports ^ | Jan. 16, 2024 | Gillian Rutherford / Faraz S. Hussain et al

[ConservativeMind]

A team has uncovered a universal biological marker for myasthenia gravis with the aim of developing a simple, fast and accessible diagnostic test for the rare autoimmune disease.

Myasthenia gravis means "severe muscle weakness." Patients may experience drooping eyelids, double vision, difficulty speaking, chewing, breathing and controlling their limbs, and can be fatal.

The team used advanced proteomics techniques and discovered blood levels of the protein fibrinogen in myasthenia gravis patients at 1,000 times the level found in both healthy controls and patients who have rheumatoid arthritis, another autoimmune disorder.

Current blood tests for the disease assess one of three antibodies and can take several weeks to get results. Depending on the type of disease the tests may be negative in 15% to 50% of patients who have myasthenia gravis but no antibodies. The symptoms of myasthenia gravis can be confused with other neurological conditions so an accurate diagnosis may take up to two years, Siddiqi says.

The researchers examined blood samples of 31 patients with myasthenia gravis, 30 healthy controls and 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. They found markedly elevated levels of fibrinogen—a protein normally involved with blood clotting—in 100% of the samples from myasthenia gravis patients. They then replicated the findings with other techniques and further confirmed the results using blinded samples.

Siddiqi says the cause of the elevated fibrinogen is unknown but is likely linked to ongoing inflammation.

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissues—in this case, the antibodies attack the junctions where nerves enter muscles. This interrupts the transmission of electrical signals from the nerves to the muscles and leads to muscle weakness.

The new biomarker can be detected with simpler technology that could be used in smaller hospitals and rural centers.

[ConservativeMind]

Instead of waiting for two years to identify Myasthenia gravis, this can help you get started on therapy immediately.

[ConservativeMind]

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