Causal Variants in CHRNA1 and CHRNB1 Genes for Anti-acetylcholine Receptor Antibody Positive Myasthenia Gravis: Evidence from Bayesian Fine-Mapping and Genetic Association Study.

ABSTRACT: Autoantibodies target the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) in 85% of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients. Genomic studies highlighted the association of genes encoding AChR subunits (CHRNA1 and CHRNB1) and MG in European populations. Additionally, Mendelian randomization revealed rs4151121 at the CHRNB1 locus as a potential causal variant. Here, we performed Bayesian fine-mapping of the CHRNA1 locus using GWAS summary statistics, a linkage disequilibrium matrix and functional annotations. The GWAS lead hit rs35274388 was identified as a causal variant overlapping with the promoter region (p < 0.01). Next, we performed a candidate gene study including 1038 participants from Serbia. Rs4151121 minor allele G was associated with late-onset MG (LOMG) (OR = 1.327, 95% CI = 1.084-1.625, p = 0.006, p

SUBMITTER: Garai N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12367955 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature