Voltage gated potassium channel antibodies

Voltage gated potassium channel antibodies (VGKC) are an autoantibody of unknown significance to ME/CFS.

Voltage gated potassium channel antibodies (VGKC) are type of autoantibody against potassium ion channels found on neuronal (nerve) cell membranes and responsible for nerve transmission and returning of neuron to resting potential. Essential for normal functioning of all organ systems

Voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC)-complex antibodies can be associated with a range of clinical presentations including limbic encephalitis, Morvan's syndrome and acquired neuromyotonia. However, there are patients with positive levels in whom the significance is uncertain.

Already known syndromes from antibodies to voltage-gated potassium channels include neuromyotonia (NMT), limbic encephalitis (LE) and Morvan syndrome (MVS). There are distinct clinical features for NMT (cramps, stiffness, fasciculations, myokymia, hyperhidrosis; afterdischarges and continuous motor activity on electromyogram), LE (encephalopathy with seizures, deficient recent memory; hyponatremia, temporal lobe magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalographic abnormalities) and MVS (NMT plus hyperhidrosis, dysautonomia, encephalopathy, severe insomnia, and sleep disorders). There may be associated myasthenia gravis or thymoma, and rarely lung cancer (small cell or adenocarcinoma.

Detected at high levels in some sufferers of CFS but of unknown significance.