ABSTRACT
Background: Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), the most common form of dysautonomia, may be associated with autoimmunity in some cases. Autoantibodies against the ganglionic acetylcholine receptor (gAChR) have been reported in a minority of POTS patients but the prevalence and clinical relevance is unclear.
Methods: Clinical information and serum samples were systematically collected from POTS participants and healthy control volunteers (n=294). The level of positive gAChR antibodies was classified as very low (0.02-0.05 nmol/L), low (0.05-0.2 nmol/L) and high (>0.2 nmol/L).
Results: Fifteen of 217 POTS patients (7%) had gAChR antibodies (8 very low; 7 low). Six of the 77 healthy controls (8%) were positive (3 very low; 3 low). There were no clinical differences between seropositive and seronegative POTS patients.
Conclusions: Prevalence of gAChR antibody did not differ between POTS and healthy controls, and none had high antibody levels. POTS patients were not clinically different based on seropositivity. Low levels of gAChR antibodies are not clinically important in POTS.
- Received August 24, 2020.
- Accepted December 10, 2020.
- © 2021 American Academy of Neurology
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