Consequences
Protein loss-of-function
- In pemphigus vulgaris, antibodies against desmosomes disrupt intercellular junctions in epidermis, leading to the formation of skin vesicles.
Cellular dysfunctions: In some cases, antibodies directed against cell-surface receptors impair or dysregulate function without causing cell injury or inflammation.
- In myasthenia gravis, antibodies reactive with acetylcholine receptors in the motor end-plates of skeletal muscles impair neuromuscular transmission and therefore cause muscle weakness.
- In Graves disease, antibodies against the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor on thyroid epithelial cells stimulate the cells, resulting in hyperthyroidism (antibody-mediated stimulation of cell function)